One of the things that I often see when out in the woods are fungal organisms. I don’t know a lot about fungi, except that some types can be very toxic, so it’s always been my policy to just leave them alone. Many of them are very delicate and beautiful, though, so I’ve been photographing some of them and trying to learn more about them. I would never eat a wild mushroom based on this research, but it is interesting learning a little more about these cool organisms. This particular fungus is Trametes cubensis, a member of the bracket fungus family (Polyporaceae). It’s pretty common here in Florida and can also be found in California, parts of South America, and parts of Southeast Asia. It feeds on dead wood, and is very important in the breakdown of old branches and stumps and recycling of the nutrients they contain. They will feed on quite a few types of wood but have a preference for oaks. We have several types of oaks in this area, including the beautiful southern live oaks, so it’s not surprising that Trametes cubensis is common here.

Trametes cubensis is also a very pretty fungus, which is part of the reason I chose to study it. The various shades of brown in concentric rings is striking, and although this particular specimen is pretty uniform, it often has weird, waves and indentations. In short, I think it’s another great example of Mother Nature, the artist.