Marasmiellus candidus

Good evening everyone ☕ 🦋

As I have often said, fungi are one of the organisms that have an important role in the ecosystem, especially in the process of decomposition of organic material, one of the interesting fungal species to discuss this time is Marasmiellus candidus, a beautiful mushroom with a soft white color that I found growing In coconut trees and palm trees that have long been dead and are now starting to rot, the uniqueness of this fungus lies not only in its striking color but also in the very distinctive shape and texture of the fungus and its role in the ecosystem.

Marasmiellus candidus has a fruit body that is medium sized and quite simple, its shape resembles a Japanese umbrella and the edges tend to curve towards the top as the fungus grows. One of the characteristics that makes this fungus easy to recognize is its striking white color, pure white. these can stand out in sharp contrast against the dark color of the dead wood on which they grow, making them stand out from their surroundings.

If you look closely at the cap of the Marasmiellus candidus mushroom it has a smooth texture but also has a bit of fiber, especially in the middle of the mushroom cap, when you touch the surface it feels very soft but still quite strong for its relatively medium size, while the bottom of the mushroom cap is decorated by lamellae which are arranged quite tightly and are also pure white in color but there is a slight brown mixture when the fungus is mature, these lamellae are a place for the development of spores which will help the spread of the Marasmiellus candidus fungus to the surrounding environment.

The structure of the fruit body of the Marasmiellus candidus mushroom also includes a stalk that is quite slender, small in size and not too long, this stalk also has a color that matches the color of the mushroom cap, although sometimes it looks a little darker or has a yellowish white hue at the base, in fact the texture of the stalk tends to be It is stiffer compared to the structure of the mushroom cap and this makes it possible to support the mushroom fruit body very well.

I found this fungus growing on the surface of dead coconut trees and sugar palm trees, trees that have undergone a palaputization process and are an ideal substrate for Marasmiellus candidus because they contain a lot of organic material that can be broken down by this fungus, the presence of this fungus on coconut trees and Dead sugar palm trees show that these fungi act as decomposers, they act as organisms that break down organic material into simpler compounds which will then become important nutrients for soil fertility.

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