How powerful is Fungi

[Dean Lofthouse]

Saw these today, they had actually pushed up tarmac on the pavement, owner had removed the fungus and stamped the tarmac back down.

 

This was the culprit, I dont know the exact one but think it's from the Coprinaceae family possibly Coprinus atramnetarius ??

[Lancstree]

The shape resembles the shaggy inkcap

[Amelanchier]

Nice post Dean!

 

Don't you just love it when nature reclaims urban hard landscaping. There's an old road near where I used to live that was left as a footpath when it was bypassed - every now and again you can see a cats eye, a white line or a overgrown storm drain.

 

Makes me wonder how long it would take for an abandoned city to succumb to succession?

 

Getting back to your title - I found this reference in

 

Is Phallus impudicus a mycological giant?

M. NIKSIC, I. HADZIC and M. GLISIC

Mycologist, Volume 18, Part 1 February 2004

 

"Based on a mathematical model, using numerical analyses it can be concluded that the tender structure of the common stinkhorn, Phallus impudicus, growing out of hard asphalt road is capable of producing the very powerful force of 1.33 kN/m2, which means that three of these mushrooms can lift approximately 400 kg."

 

An engineers nightmare! They only spec a surface to take a load from above not below!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Quality post, had to be bumped! It is mental how something you could squish in your hands can lift up a road, seen it many many times and still it amazes me.

[armchairarborist]

got some good pics of them, how do i post them? whats an URL of an image?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

go to advanced mode, and use the icon with the paperclip above the image icon

[armchairarborist]

thanks man, il try it

[armchairarborist]

first spotted and two days later