Sculptures that explore the shroomosphere

- Juvenile fruit that Spore to become mushrooms -

A mycelium may be minute, forming a colony that is too small to see, or may grow to span thousands of acres as in Armillaria (Honey Fungus). The network of mycelium acts similar to human brains, in the way that mycelium is used to send electrical signals to the fruiting bodies of mushrooms. These electrical signals can be used to convey information or warn about incoming danger.

FLY AGARIC SHROOM

Mixed Media: Wood/Nails/Paint/Wax Size: 7 x 2.5 x 8cm £25

The Fly Agaric also known as Amanita muscaria, are a poisonous and psychoactive mushroom species. They are characterized by their bright red cap with white spots and white gills. Fly agaric is native to the UK and grows in woodland and heathland on light soils among birch, pine or spruce. It is a fungus that often forms mycorrhizal associations* with birch, but also other trees. This toadstool has turned up in many fairy tale stories and features in the story of Alice in Wonderland when she is given some fly agaric to eat.

* Mycorrhizal association is a symbiotic exchange between a green plant and a fungus. The plant makes organic molecules by photosynthesis and supplies them to the fungus in the form of sugars or lipids, while the fungus supplies the plant with water and mineral nutrients, such as phosphorus, taken from the soil.

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A typical single spore germinates into a monokaryotic mycelium, which cannot reproduce sexually; when two compatible monokaryotic mycelia join and form a dikaryotic mycelium, that mycelium may form fruiting bodies such as mushrooms.

PARASOL SHROOM

Mixed Media: Wood/Nails/Paint/Wax Size: 9 x 4 x 6cm £25

The Parasol mushroom also known as Lepiota Procera, is a large and edible fungus with a white cap and a soft, white stem. It is a fairly common species on well-drained soils and is found solitary or in groups and fairy rings in pastures and occasionally in woodland. The height and cap diameter of a mature specimen may both reach 30 to 40 (50) cm.

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Mycelium is also an important food source for many soil invertebrates. They are
vital to agriculture and are important to almost all species of plants, many species
co-evolving with the fungi.

st gEORGES SHROOM

Mixed Media: Wood/Nails/Paint/Wax Size: 22 x 3 x 6.5cm £45

The St George’s Mushroom also known as Calocybe gambosa, grows mainly in fields, grass verges, and roadsides in the UK. The cap diameter of a mature specimen can reach up to 15 cm and the stem height can be up to 5 cm. The St George’s mushroom is the first traditional mushroom to start showing itself across the country, hailing the start of the season proper, usually found several weeks either side of St. George’s day (23rd April). It is a good edible species, distinguished from other pale species of springtime by its mealy (like wet flour) smell. The St George’s mushroom can be identified by its lovely pale cream color, stout appearance, and crowded gills.

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Mycelium is a root-like structure of a fungus consisting of a mass of branching,
thread-like hyphae. The growth of mycelium is initiated by spore germination.
As the spore germinates, it produces a short, initial hypha called a germ tube,
which expands and branches. Then, each branch forms new units, and so on.

TAWNY GRISETTE SHROOM

Mixed Media: Wood/Nails/Paint/Wax Size: 18 x 3.5 x 8cm £45

The Tawny Grisette also known as Amanita fulva, is a fascinating mushroom found in woodlands, especially those with birch trees, during the summer and autumn months. Tawny Grisettes thrive in mixed woodlands, moorlands, and heaths, particularly on acidic soil. They form mycorrhizal associations* with various trees, including oak, birch, chestnut, alder, spruce, and pine. The Tawny Grisette is relatively easy to identify among Amanita species. Its cap measures 8-12 cm in diameter and starts off ovoid, later flattening out with a slight, darker umbo. The cap color is orange-brown or ‘tawny,’ and its edge has striations aligned with the gills underneath. The gills are white, free of the stem, and crowded. The stem is 8-12 cm long, initially white, but it develops a cap-colored flush as it matures.

* Mycorrhizal association is a symbiotic exchange between a green plant and a fungus. The plant makes organic molecules by photosynthesis and supplies them to the fungus in the form of sugars or lipids, while the fungus supplies the plant with water and mineral nutrients, such as phosphorus, taken from the soil.

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The mycelium absorbs nutrients from its environment in a two-stage process.
First, the hyphae secrete enzymes onto or into the food source, which break down biological polymers into smaller units such as monomers. These monomers are then absorbed into the mycelium by facilitated diffusion and active transport.

cOMMON fAWN PLUTEUS SHROOM

Mixed Media: Wood/Nails/Paint/Wax Size: 20 x 5.5 x 7.5cm £45

The Common Fawn Pluteus also known as Pluteus Cervinus, also known as the Deer Shield, Deer Mushroom, or Fawn Mushroom, is a fascinating species of fungus found in woodlands across Europe and North America. Common Fawn Pluteus thrives on hardwood stumps in mixed woodlands, moorlands, and heaths. The Common Fawn Pluteus is often the most frequent among the shield fungi in Britain and Ireland. Its cap typically measures 8-12 cm in diameter and starts off ovoid, later flattening out with a slight, darker umbo. The cap color resembles that of a young deer, hence the common name “Fawn Pluteus.” Some authorities attribute the common name to antler-like horn-shaped protrusions on the gill-face cystidia. The gills are white, free of the stem, and crowded.

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The mycelium grows out in a circular manner while expanding further outwards.
As the mycelia deplete available nutrients in the inner part of the circle, the inner mycelia is no longer maintained given that there are no more nutrients.

hONEY fUNGUS SHROOM

Mixed Media: Wood/Nails/Paint/Wax Size: 19 x 9 x 8cm £75

The Honey fungus also known as Armillaria is a group of fungi that can wreak havoc in gardens by attacking and killing the roots of many woody and herbaceous perennials. The most characteristic symptom of honey fungus is white fungal growth between the bark and wood, usually at ground level. Appearing briefly as clumps of honey-colored mushrooms on infected stumps in autumn. Rhizomorphs: These bootlace-like structures extend underground, aiding the fungus’s spread. Honey fungus can attack a wide range of plants, including oak, birch, chestnut, privet, and lilac. No plant is completely immune, but some are rarely affected. To check for infection, peel away the bark at the base of a plant. Look for a thin layer of white fungal tissue (mycelium) beneath the bark.

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Mycelia are vital in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems for their role in the decomposition of plant material. They contribute to the organic fraction of soil,
and their growth releases carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.

rED sTAINED iNOCYBE SHROOM

Mixed Media: Wood/Nails/Paint/Wax Size: 26.5 x 16 x 8cm £95

The Red-Stained Inocybe also known as Inosperma erubescens, also known as the Deadly Fibrecap,
Brick-Red Tear Mushroom, or Red-Staining Inocybe, is a poisonous basidiomycete fungus. It belongs to the genus Inocybe and is one of the few known mushrooms to have caused death. The cap of the Red-Stained Inocybe starts off hemispherical before flattening out, reaching a diameter of up to 8 cm.
Its color is variable, initially white but often stained with pink-white and red marks or lines. Commonly found in beech woods and chalky soils. It mainly grows on leaf litter during the spring and summer seasons. Its distribution includes southern Europe and has been recorded in eastern Anatolia, Turkey, and Israel, where it grows under palestinian oak and pine trees.