Reub's journey

10 October 2016

Curling towards the sun

John noticed it first.

 It was all by itself, so close to the path it was surprising that one of us (John, me, Ed and Reub) hadn't trampled it: Parosola plicatilis.


A perfectly formed, nearly transparent little mushroom containing a tablespoon or so of last night's rainwater.



Its life span is maybe 18 hours, tops.


After a few hours it begins to curl towards the sun.



Then briefly it turns in on itself like a flower closing for the night.


But it isn't just the night; it's the end.

The sun shines brightly.


By dusk few will notice this small thing, or know what a perfectly beautiful life it lived. Perhaps it is enough that just you and I have witnessed it.


15 comments:

  1. That is really cool. Nice post, very well done.

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  2. Great series of photos. I had no idea some mushrooms were so short-lived.

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  3. Those photos really stirred me. How nice that you saw it and how nice that you shared it.

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  4. Replies
    1. Thank you AC. I had fun revisiting these little guys throughout the day yesterday.

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  5. What a wonderful find. The impermanence of beauty. It looks like glass in its transparent stage.

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    1. It did look like glass! And when it folded up it was a perfect little garlic clove.

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  6. Replies
    1. Yes, and if you were me, you would be making a glass piece out of it. It was like glass.

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    2. What a pretty and delicate little mushroom. Thanks for sharing.

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    3. So pretty, and there hasn't been another one since.

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  7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycelium

    Do not be sad it lives on !

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