Cauliflower

 

A perfect example of a young Cauliflower fungus (Sparassis crispa) on the edge of Dames Slough; often they'll grow through sticks and bracket, the lobes and folds becoming filled with debris, but these folds were clean and pristine. Listed as 'edible good' they're a tasty mushroom; this one would be a good one for cooking as usually their a bugger to clean.

Cauliflower fungus

Cauliflower Fungus (Sparassis crispa). Nice.

Cauliflower fungus (sparassis spathulata) maybe?

I've seen a lot Cauliflower Fungus (Sparassis crispa) about the forest this year, although I not sure if this isn't something rather special, it's form suggests it could be an example of the much rarer sparassis spathulata; with S.crispa the leaf like lobes are usually looser and more irregular. S.spathulatais is edible too, though whereas I'd likely pick me a chunk of fresh Cauliflower Fungus, I left this beauty on account of it's possible classification as rare. Nice spot though.

Cauliflower fungus

 

I've not seen a Cauliflower fungus (Sparassis crispain) for a couple of years, mostly I imagine as I tend not to do much coniferous walking until winter proper, and I need a hit of green in the face of the skeletal deciduous stands.  A bugger to prepare/clean, good eating though when young.  I've not eaten one for more years than I've not seen one, I tend not to collect any species not occurring in a abundance. In Cauliflower's case abundance may mean a fair sized clump, from which a dinners worth could be harvested without major detriment to the clump. Many of the forest's edibles made poor showings this season, few Boletes, some Hedgehogs, not much fungi about at all, even the usually abundant Parasols on Spy Holms, although present, were so in greatly reduced numbers.  So it goes.

Cauliflower power

The Cauliflower fungus (Sparassis crispa) is a distinctive fungus looking just as its name implies like a cauliflower.  It's an interesting specimen, growing on the same spot over several years, although not always every year. It favours pine, and is found on stumps or at the base of trunks. It's edible and wont me misidentified easily, though a bugger to clean, and its season is now until November.  Like many other fungi it may have more to it than a food source, research suggests it contains immune stimulating/boosting properties and may be effective against tumours.  For a long time I've believed that there's a cure for many of our ills out there in nature, the question is will we find them in time, and more pertinently, how many have we already destroyed.