A Wealth of Fungi on Arran

Is this just a bumper year for Fungi or have I just been noticing them more often?

Apparently, having just 'Googled' the word, there are over 100,000 varieties, so  the ones I've found here on the island are clearly the tip of the iceberg! One of the most prolific, and are a joy to behold, are these little red creations and they can be found while enjoying the walk around the King's Caves at Machrie.

Heading north out of Blackwaterfoot are these fabulous golden brown clumps growing in the grass verge by the roadside.

What is a Fungus?

A fungus is any member of a large group of organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds (British English: moulds), as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, protists, and bacteria. One major difference is that fungal cells have cell walls that contain chitin, unlike the cell walls of plants and some protists, which contain cellulose, and unlike the cell walls of bacteria. These and other differences show that the fungi form a single group of related organisms, named the Eumycota (true fungi or Eumycetes), that share a common ancestor (is a monophyletic group). Genetic studies have shown that fungi are more closely related to animals than to plants.

Thank you Wikipedia!

Look down as well as up!

So as you are walking around our wonderful Isle of Arran take the opportunity to look down as well as ahead of you.

Don't pick them - and probably don't even touch them!

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