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Tiger's Eye

Coltricia cinnamomea

Description:

Tiny stemmed polypore mushrooms. Also known as "brown funnel", although the name "tiger's eye" is brilliant. Another name I've seen for this species is "fairy stool". Caps have satin-like sheen, delicately zoned with concentric bands of cinnamon brown with a central depression - they look like martini glasses. Largest specimen was less than 10mm in diameter, although other spotters of this local species have reported specimens up to 30mm in diameter. Only four specimens found at this location. Here's a good local link - http://australianfungi.blogspot.com.au/2... NB: Coltricia perennis and C. australica appear to be synonyms for C. cinnamomea. Also, the common names "tiger's eye" and "brown funnel" are names used abroad for fungi of the same genus Coltricia. I'm unable to find a local name.

Habitat:

Native bushland in the Mt. Coot-tha Forest Reserve. Spotted on the Maculata Track. Area generally dry but leaf litter in more shaded areas still reasonably moist. Mushrooms growing amongst moss on a well-shaded sandstone embankment, on sandy soil. Surrounding trees native eucalypts, but leaf litter here looks like pine needles and could be from a native casuarina species.

Notes:

I spotted these near my boot when I just happened to look down. One step closer and I would have crushed all four. My spotting was amongst pine needle litter, perhaps from a casuarina tree, and this fungi could be associated with a native casuarina species. See Wiki link information under heading Ectomycorrhizal Networks. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycorrhizal...

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3 Comments

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 9 years ago

Favourites. Must take some to keep this year.

Neil Ross
Neil Ross 9 years ago

I'd say by the size of these they're very young specimens. Probably as they age they'll grow in size and flatten out a bit, and then split around the edges. It took me ages to ID this species, but once I found the European species, it narrowed down the search considerably.

kdpicturemaker
kdpicturemaker 9 years ago

Yours look more perfectly shaped than mine. More pink toned too, still the same sheen & pattern.

Neil Ross
Spotted by
Neil Ross

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Spotted on Apr 6, 2014
Submitted on Apr 20, 2014

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Tiger's Eye Tiger's Eye fungus Coltricia australica Cinnamon Polypore

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