Devil's snuff-box

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Devil's snuff-box
Photo Information
Copyright: Adrian Szatewicz (aes_thor) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 121 W: 23 N: 306] (1262)
Genre: Fungi
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-07-15
Categories: Fungi
Camera: Fuji Finepix S20 Pro, Fujinon 6x zoom
Exposure: f/2.8, 1/100 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2008-05-20 2:58
Viewed: 324
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 22
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Hi everyone!

Today another strange looking mushroom- this time it's young Lycoperdon perlatum, called in english The gem-studded puffball or Devil's snuff-box- really original names by the way.

Photograph taken during one of my walks in forests near Mragowo, Poland.
Mushrooms, next to insects, are my favourite subject for macro shooting.

Below some usefull information about the species:

The gem-studded puffball or devil's snuff-box (Lycoperdon perlatum) is a moderate sized puffball mushroom with a round fruiting body, tapering to a wide stalk. It is off-white with a top covered in short, spiny bumps or "jewels".

When mature, they become brown and a hole in the top opens to release spores which are released in a burst when the body is compressed by rain drops, a touch, falling nuts, etc.

Description:
Three features distinguish this mushroom in its edible stage from the later, mature stage, and from other mushrooms:

The white, spiny looking exterior with "gems" or "studs" which are soft and detach when manipulated.
The outer shape is rounded and tapering, often inverted pear-shaped with no openings visible.
The inner structure is uniform, soft and pure white when the mushroom is immature and edible. Forms with mature spore-bearing tissues are are yellow to olive on the interior.
If the inner structure is hard or contains gills or an inner stem, then it is not the gem-studded puffball, and may be poisonous—potentially even deadly.

Edibility:
Gem-studded puffballs are considered to be a choice edible mushroom when young and the gleba is homogeneous and white. They become inedible as they mature: the gleba becomes yellow-tinged, then finally develops into a mass of powdery olive-green spores.

The immature "buttons" or "eggs" of deadly Amanita species can be confused with puffballs. For this reason puffballs should always be sliced vertically and inspected for the developing structures of a mushroom. However, Amanitas will generally not have 'jewels' or a bumpy surface, for the most part.
(Information taken from Wikipedia)

Thank You for all good comments and critiques from yesterday.
I hope You will like this one as well.

Cheers and have a good afternoon!
boreocypriensis, PaulH, haraprasan, Jamesp, actagaudi, Hormon_Manyer, chpp, iris has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To actagaudi: Hej!aes_thor 2 05-30 03:39
To Hormon_Manyer: Hi!aes_thor 1 05-29 12:06
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Adrian,
What a beautiful and strange mushroom. Surface deatails (like warts:) are excellent my friend! Great macro! TFS.
Cheers,

Bayram

Hello Adrian,

Very good picture of these fungi. Very good POV, DOF and sharpness. Good light and superb colours.
Cheers,
Mariki

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 981 W: 17 N: 2563] (9450)
  • [2008-05-20 4:09]

Hello Adrian,
a very strange looking musgroom indeed, but well caught! Great sharp detail and clarity from a very good low POV - nice work!
Paul

Hello Adrian
I have never been lucky enough to see this fantastic fungi but your excellent macro demonstrates its beauty perfectly..A very nice low pov with great sharp details highlighted by a very good bg.
best regards
Paul

Hi Adrian,
A lovely group of fungi. Very well captured with sharp details and a lovely composition. Thanks a lot for sharing.

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1223 W: 0 N: 4449] (13290)
  • [2008-05-20 23:32]

Hi Adrian

An excellent capture. Good detail and exposure. Expertly done.

James

Witaj

Bardzo szczegółowa notka, ale przecież tylko takiej można było sie spodziewać po osobie zafascynowanej przyrodą. Zdjęcie spodobało mi się głównie ze względu na interesujący przedmiot - "grzybki" - oraz ze względu na ciekawy DOF. Jedynie może zmieniłabym ramkę, ponieważ ta jest tak nijaka, że mogłoby jej również nie być.

Hi Adrian,

First of all, my Friend, please be sure I like this image. It shows the habitat of Lycoperdon perlatum quite well, no sharpness problem. But the whole photo, most of all the background has got a strange looking, unnatural purple tone, which vexes my sensitive eyes. I tried to get rid of it in the workshop.
In spite of this strange coloring, I give the 2 points, because the fungi themselves are captured well, with perfect details.
Tfs, best regards, László

Bonsoir Adrian
Ils sont très mignons, et la lumière est trsè agréable.
Bravo
Merci
Laurent

  • Great 
  • chpp (37)
  • [2008-05-29 16:54]

Hi Adrian
great shot, perfect focus and lots of details in this mashroom

  • Great 
  • iris Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 368 W: 39 N: 654] (2053)
  • [2008-05-30 2:42]

Hi Adrian,
I see your gallery is spotted with delightful cpature of various kinds of fungi.
This is quite an interesting.And what contrasting two names-"gem-studded puffball or devil's snuff-box"- one which highlights the goodness and other in an "evil" light:) I like the texture captured in details with good exposure, lights and colours.It must have been challenging considering their colour.
Very well done.
TFS & Cheers

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