Mushroom season in Katalapi Park
Mycena cyanocephala (light blue) and Entoloma necopinatum (green)
A variety of fungal species is present in Katalapi Park, and reveals itself most fully during these autumn months. The current temperatures of 0 – 16 °C (32 – 61 °F) and the more than 260 mm (10 inches) of rainfall so far this year create the ideal conditions for the fruiting and growth of many mushroom species amidst the leaf litter, in decomposing trunks and logs and in association with plants, such as the mycorrhizal species.
The variety of colors, shapes, and sizes are the delight of photographers, naturalists, and nature-lovers. Among the most striking are Mycena cyanocephala, which is light blue and Entoloma necopinatum, which is green.
Mushrooms are very important to the forest. They are responsible for degrading trunks and leaf litter, forming soil and mycorrhizal networks with plants. They also cause a number of diseases among plants, and facilitate the circulation of nutrients within the forest. They are food for a variety of organisms.
