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Sunday 8 January 2012

Laccaria amethystea and Giant Puffball (Calvatia gigantea)

Arbroath, Scotland, August 2011

Still in Scotland with my friends and extremely grateful for their company and fabulous hospitality.  I felt safe. Also indebted to them for allowing me to shed tears whenever, and wherever I needed to. And for accepting my zombie like state and aimless wanderings.  

Whilst out 'wandering' around the edge of the golf course amongst broad leaf and conifer trees,  I came across a small group of Laccaria amethystea.  The depth of the deep purple colour was impressive. Especially as cap, gills and stem are all such a deep colour.  My photography that day was definitely not at its best and the photo is not as clear as I would have liked - the lighting was bad and the location was difficult and I got stung quite badly by nettles.

September 2011 

Calvatia gigantea - Giant Puffball.  A first for me.  Was tramping around the Nottingham University campus early one morning when I came across two Giant Puffballs.  One young and one mature growing near to each other.  Unfortunately for me, they were surrounded by huge nettles, but I managed to photograph both.  The mature one being larger than a football but still not as big as it could be.  I couldn't resist trying to pick it up to test the weight.  Of course it was lighter than expected and the texture being cork like.  Did not lift it much as didn't wish to damage it.  I could not help wondering just how many people a Giant Puffball would feed!

These pictures can now be viewed on Browse 4.

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