THE MOST WILDLY BEAUTIFUL MUSHROOMS

STEVE AXFORD

Wild mushrooms are beautiful food. Even the “poisonous” ones. Yes. Read on...

Because while some wild mushrooms might sicken or kill you if you try to eat them raw or cooked, all mushrooms make for good eating because they all serve to break down dead organic material into nutrient rich soil that can grow other, more directly edible food.

Australian photographer Steve Axford is obsessed with finding and showcasing the beauty of the wildest mushrooms on the planet. His photos are stunning.

Axford captures each funky fungus in its all time glory, in peak color and form, highlighting each as a unique beauty.

Concentrating on his local area of Northern Rivers, in New South Wales, Axford discovers many wild mushroom species that were previously undocumented. Most are endemic to the region.

The Northern Rivers area is primarily subtropical, lowland rainforest. The conditions are ripe for exotic lifeforms, including wild mushrooms that can break them all down.

There seem to be an unlimited variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and textures in the wild mushroom world.

Mycologists estimate that there are 4 million species of fungi on Earth, but only about 200,000 species have been identified.

Beyond providing food, either directly or indirectly, mushrooms are also sources of medicine. Efforts are underway to find out more about how wild mushrooms can feed and heal us.

Scientists are close to developing ways for mushrooms to break down inorganic waste, such as plastic, to turn it into food as well.

We have a new respect for the magic of mushrooms. We can’t wait to see (and eat) more!

Read more about Beautiful Wild in Beautiful Wild Films Now and Beautiful Rider on Some Wildly Beautiful Storms Now.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Steve Axford.   “Cookina tricholoma.”
2. Image: by Steve Axford. “Stemonitis axifera, Tara Ridge.”
3. Image: by Steve Axford. “Entoloma Hochstetteri (virescens).”
4. Image: by Steve Axford. “Australian Mushroom.”
5. Image: by Steve Axford. “Filoboletus manipularis.”
6. Image: by Steve Axford. “Blue leratiomyces.”
7. Image: by Steve Axford. “Hairy mycena.”
8. Image: by Steve Axford. “Cyptotrama aspratum or Gold tuft.”
9. Image: by Steve Axford. “Leratiomyces.”
10. Image: by Steve Axford. “Cyathus novaezelandiae or Birds Nest Fungi, Tara Ridge.”
11. Image: by Steve Axford. “Schizophyllum commune.”
12. Image: by Steve Axford. “Marasmius haematocephalus.”
13. Image: by Steve Axford. “Helicon.”
14. Image: by BN App - Download now!
15. Image: by Steve Axford. “Scizophyllum Commune.”