Friendly fungi announce themselves to their hosts

Lentinula novae-zelandiae / New Zealand Shitake

While true Shitake is not found naturally here in Aotearoa we have an edible relative, Lentinula novae-zelandiae. I was lucky enough to find this rare specimen on some decaying native wood in the Waitākere ranges.

Harwoods Hole, Tākaka Hill, Abel Tasman National Park

There's nothing quite like mountain beech / tawairauriki forest in autumn. The mycorrhizal relationship present in these unique forests form some of the most visually stunning fungi.

The humble hessian sack meets mycelium

Hessian sacks are by far my favourite free resource. I get them by the boot load from a large local coffee importer and roaster, they have become my go to fungi feeding, moisture retaining weed mat.

Spatial distribution of pores helps determine where carbon is stored in the soil

Isaria sinclairii

Isaria sinclairii is a species of entomopathogenic fungus mostly infecting the underground nymphs of cicadas. It produces myriocin, from which the synthetic drug fingolimod, a treatment for multiple sclerosis, was developed.

Language of fungi derived from their electrical spiking activity

Raupeka / Earina autumnalis / Easter orchid

An epiphytic orchid with matted roots, broad leaves and strongly scented white flowers in the Autumn. This specimen was found on a fallen tānekaha trunk.

Rō / Orthodera novaezealandiae / New Zealand mantis

This endemic species is easily identifiable by the bright blue dot on the forelimbs and the yellowish hue of the upper forelimbs. Sadly this garden friends numbers are in decline as Miomantis caffra, the introduced South African species becomes more and more entrenched here.

Waiū atua or Waiū o Kahukura / Euphorbia glauca

I let our endemic Euphorbia fill all the spaces that common milkweed would usually inhabit. It has also been speculated that the milky sap could have positive effects for some skin ailments.

The future is fungi

Mycorrhizal fungi promote greater tree species diversity

Raupeti or Remuroa / Solanum nodiflorum / Small-flowered nightshade

In my experience a lot of people mistake this little native edible as deadly nightshade (of which we have very little here in NZ) and as such it's often on the receiving end of a heavy dowsing of glyphosate. This is a real shame because not only are the leaves edible but so are the ripe fruit!

Beauveria bassiana meets mūmū chafer

Found on the forest floor in the Kaimai Mamaku.

Root symbiosis is regulated through nutrient status of plants

Kareao / Ripogonum scandens / Supplejack, the delicous bush snack

Synonymous with NZ bush, this vine is the gift that keeps on giving (unless you're trying to get through a thick patch of its entanglement). The bright red berries are sure to catch your eyes if they're present in lower canopies and are entirely edible (excluding the hard spotted seed). In the wild the berry contains a large spotted seed and a thin layer of delicious flesh that tastes refreshingly like something between an apple and watermelon.

Rakiura National Park

It probably shouldn’t surprise me that the anchor island of our nation has solidified so many of the ephemeral thoughts and feelings I’ve been having recently.

The Hitchhiker’s guide to the soil