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Tiny cannon fungus
Pilobolus sp.
-37.8922, 145.322
Field Notes
Description:
These truly tiny fungi form heads like glass spheres on a stem topped with a black spot. Their presence might be detected initially by feeling small wet specs on bare skin like tiny rain. A single body is about 0.3 mm tall.
Habitat:
In a local state park eucalyptus forest. These appeared all over some herbivore dung (almost certain to be kangaroo).
Notes:
The head of this structure includes a clear glass-like ball which uses sunlight to ‘focus’ on as it grows. When internal pressure is sufficient the black spore mass, or sporangiophore, is shot out at a fantastic speed. It is one of the fastest actions known in nature. The spores are shot up to 3 metres away from the source and are spread over surrounding vegetation to be consumed by another herbivore. <br> http://bugs.bio.usyd.edu.au/learning/resources/Mycology/images/Topics/A… <br>
These are small enough to be beyond the capabilities of my camera. <br>
phylum: Zygomycota <br>
order: Mucorales <br>
family: Pilobolaceae <br>
http://bie.ala.org.au/species/a4fb96d0-c5e9-4fd8-be50-828a492d114f
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