Nature’s umbrellas

There are some organisms that thrive in the moist, humid environment that the monsoons bring. And though they have a short life, they are beautiful and intriguing, when they appear.

Right now, the rains are a distant memory, but it wasn’t long ago that we felt our city was just soaking in water… and though we didn’t have the major deluge that Chennai had, we too had our share of dampness and moisture.

There are some organisms that thrive in this moist, humid environment, and though they have a short life, they still look beautiful, and intriguiging, when they appear. Mushrooms are a form of fungi… and in fact, the fruiting body of these organisms.

Mushrooms come in varieties called bolete, puffball, stinkhorn, morel, and gilled mushrooms themselves are often called agarics. However, we can give them our own fancy names, too! Here are some, that I clicked during the rains recently.

Here are some large mushrooms that remind me of that famous Kannada dish, Thatte idli!

The picture of these two longish mushrooms was beautiful, too…

Some mushrooms, like this one, are called ‘toadstools’; earlier, they used to refer to poisonous ones. It’s easy to imagine amphibians sitting on these and croaking out their rain songs!

Others remind me of small umbrellas….

Right in the middle of the wet greenery, they… well… mushroom (yes, their often sudden appearance has given rise to the verb) suddenly, overnight!

Mushrooms come in many colours, and I particularly liked this orange one.

Mushrooms reproduce through spores, which form on the underside of the ‘umbrellas’.

Many mushrooms are supposed to be edible, and very nutritious, too, but I wouldn’t advocate plucking any for the kitchen without knowing more about them! Some can violently disagree with our digestive systems too.

Here’s a beautiful image taken by my friend Vandana Murthy, on November 23rd 2015.

So… looking down as one walks on the grass, or looking up on the trunks of trees, is as much fun in the rains, as it can be at other times! Do look at these “fairies’ umbrellas” when next the weather is damp and gloomy, and they will cheer you up!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Similar Story

Unplanned growth, flawed notification endanger Delhi wetlands

Increased public involvement and lessons from successful restoration attempts can help revive the crucial wetlands under threat in the city.

Have you been to the Surajpur wetland, near Surajpur village in Gautam Budh Nagar district? Located in the midst of an expansive industrial city under the administrative purview of the Greater Noida Development Authority, it reveals itself as a mosaic of a sprawling lake, towering trees and thousands of birds, many flying in from distant lands. As you enter the wetland, the guards tell you not to go beyond the second viewpoint. It is untamed territory, the domain of many wild animals, they warn.  However, all has not been well in this sanctuary of nature. In January 2024, the Uttar…

Similar Story

Lake Health Index reveals pollution concerns in Bengaluru’s water bodies

The citizen-driven Lake Health Index project assessed the condition of three lakes in the city: Ulsoor, Doddabommasandra and Shivapura.

Bengaluru grapples with a persistent water stress, worsened by the decline in rainfall, overexploitation of groundwater and decreasing Cauvery River levels. The water crisis has led experts and the government to reconsider using lakes as a source of water, either by storing treated wastewater or harvested rainwater. The draining of lakes, like Bellandur and Varthur, for desilting has contributed to a major part of the groundwater crisis in Bengaluru. However, with the upcoming monsoon predicted to be normal, there is a looming concern regarding the lakes in the city. The anticipated rains may bring one of the highest influxes of…