Sea clubrush, cosmopolitan bulrush, alkali bulrush, saltmarsh bulrush, and bayonet grass - Bolboschoenus maritimus (L.) Palla - Cyprus

Bolboschoenus maritimus is a species of flowering plant from family Cyperaceae. Common names for this species include sea clubrush, cosmopolitan bulrush, alkali bulrush, saltmarsh bulrush, and bayonet grass. It is found in seaside wetland habitats over much of the world. It is widespread across much of temperate and subtropical Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America and various islands. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Kouklia Amochostou 13/7/2015 by George Konstantinou

Toothed dock - Rumex dentatus L. - Cyprus

Rumex dentatus is a species of flowering plant in the knotweed family known by the common name toothed dock. It is native to parts of Eurasia and North Africa, and it is widely known elsewhere as an introduced species and a common roadside weed. It grows in disturbed habitat, often in moist areas, such as lakeshores and the edges of cultivated fields. It is an annual or biennial herb producing a slender, erect stem up to 70 or 80 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves are lance-shaped to oval with slightly wavy edges, growing to a maximum length around 12 centimeters. The inflorescence is an interrupted series of clusters of flowers, with 10 to 20 flowers per cluster and each flower hanging on a pedicel. Each flower has usually six tepals, the 3 inner of which are edged with spinelike teeth and have tubercles at their centers.

This plant has allelopathic activity, producing substances that inhibit the growth of other plants near it, as well as antibacterial and antifungal activity. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Kouklia Amochostou 13/7/2015 by George Konstantinou

Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea (Pallas, 1764) ) Καστανόπαπιες - Cyprus

See also

Οι πανέμορφες άγριες πάπιες της Κύπρου (Web Tv) - Του Γιώργου Κωνσταντίνου - Εφημερίδα πολίτης 27/3/2018

The ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is in the shelduck subfamilyTadorninae.

There are very small resident populations of this species in north west Africa and Ethiopia, but the main breeding area of this species is from southeast Europe across central Asia to Southeast Asia. These birds are mostly migratory, wintering in the Indian Subcontinent.

Although becoming quite rare in southeast Europe and southern Spain, the ruddy shelduck is still common across much of its Asian range. It may be this population which gives rise to vagrants as far west as Iceland, Great Britain and Ireland. However, since the European population is declining, it is likely that most occurrences in western Europe in recent decades are escapes or feral birds. Although this bird is observed in the wild from time to time in eastern North America, no evidence of a genuine vagrant has been found.

This is a bird of open country, and it will breed on cliffs, in burrows, tree holes or crevices distant from water, laying 6-16 creamy-white eggs, incubated for 30 days. The ruddy shelduck is usually found in pairs or small groups and rarely forms large flocks. However, moulting and wintering gatherings on chosen lakes or slow rivers can be very large.
The ruddy shelduck is a distinctive species, 58–70 cm (23–28 in) long with a 110–135 cm (43–53 in) wingspan. It has orange-brown body plumage and a paler head. The wings are white with black flight feathers. It swims well, and in flight looks heavy, more like a goose than a duck. The sexes of this striking species are similar, but the male has a black ring at the bottom of the neck in the breeding season summer, and the female often has a white face patch. The call is a loud wild honking.
The ruddy shelduck is a common winter visitor in India. This bird is found in large wetlands, rivers with mud flats and shingle banks. Found in large congregation on lakes and reservoirs. It breeds in high altitude lakes and swamps in Jammu & Kashmir. Arrives in north India by October and departs by April. The genus name Tadorna comes from Celtic roots and means "pied waterfowl", essentially the same as the English "shelduck". From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos and video Meneou 1/1/2014 by George Konstantinou

Orange Jelly - Dacrymyces palmatus Bres. (1904) - Cyprus

Dacrymyces palmatus (Orange Jelly) is a species of fungi in the family Dacrymycetaceae, and is edible. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dacrymyces palmatus or chrysospermus is a species of jelly fungus in the family Dacrymycetaceae. In the UK it has the recommended English name of orange jelly spot; in North America it is known as orange jelly or orange witch's butter. The species is saprotrophic and grows on dead coniferous wood. Basidiocarps are gelatinous, bright orange, and extremely variable in shape, but typically stoutly stipitate with a spoon- or cup-shaped, spore-bearing head. They are frequently erumpent in groups, often coalescing to form complex masses up to 6 cm (2.4 in) across. Dacrymyces chrysospermus was originally described from New England, but is said to have a worldwide distribution. Microscopically it is distinguished from most other species of Dacrymyces by its comparatively large (18–23 by 6.5–8 µm),From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Athalassa 10/3/2010 by George Konstantinou

Dusky puffball - Lycoperdon foetidum Wahlenb. (1794) - Cyprus

Lycoperdon nigrescens, with the synonym Lycoperdon foetidum, commonly known as the dusky puffball, is a type of puffball mushroom in the genus Lycoperdon. It was first described scientifically in 1794 by the Swedish naturalist Göran Wahlenberg. Visually similar to other species when young, it grows increasingly darker with age, and lacks the pronounced stipe that old Lycoperdon perlatum attain.

It appears from summer to fall in both conifer and hardwood forests, in addition to alpine areas. The caps are shaped somewhat like pears, with spines ranging in brightness, which later break off. The surface is dark between the spines. The stipe has thin strands coming from its base

Lycoperdon is a genus of puffball mushrooms. The genus has a widespread distribution and contains about 50 species. In general, it contains the smaller species such as the pear-shaped puffball and the gem-studded puffball. It was formerly classified within the now-obsolete order Lycoperdales, as the type genus which, following a restructuring of fungal taxonomy brought about by molecular phylogeny, has been split. Lycoperdon is now placed in the family Agaricaceae of the order Agaricales.

The name comes from lycos meaning wolf and perdon meaning to break wind; thus the name literally means wolf-farts.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Lithrodontas 11/11/2006 by George Konstantinou

Common puffball, warted puffball, gem-studded puffball or devil's snuff-box - Lycoperdon perlatum Pers. (1796) - Cyprus

Lycoperdon perlatum, popularly known as the common puffball, warted puffball, gem-studded puffball, or the devil's snuff-box, is a species of puffball fungus in the family Agaricaceae. A widespread species with a cosmopolitan distribution, it is a medium-sized puffball with a round fruit body tapering to a wide stalk, and dimensions of 1.5 to 6 cm (0.6 to 2.4 in) wide by 3 to 7 cm (1.2 to 2.8 in) tall. It is off-white with a top covered in short spiny bumps or "jewels", which are easily rubbed off to leave a netlike pattern on the surface. When mature it becomes brown, and a hole in the top opens to release spores in a burst when the body is compressed by touch or falling raindrops.

The puffball grows in fields, gardens, and along roadsides, as well as in grassy clearings in woods. It is edible when young and theinternal flesh is completely white, although care must be taken to avoid confusion with immature fruit bodies of poisonous Amanita species. L. perlatum can usually be distinguished from other similar puffballs by differences in surface texture. Several chemical compounds have been isolated and identified from the fruit bodies of L. perlatum, including sterol derivatives, volatile compounds that give the puffball its flavor and odor, and the unusual amino acid lycoperdic acid. Laboratory tests indicate that extracts of the puffball have antimicrobial and antifungal activities.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Rizokarpaso 16/2/2010 by George Konstantinou

Psathyrella sp. - Cyprus

Psathyrella is a large genus of about 400 fungi, and is similar to the genera Coprinellus, Coprinopsis, Coprinus and Panaeolus, usually with a thin cap and white or yellowish white hollow stem. The caps do not self digest as do those of Coprinellus and Coprinopsis. Some also have brown spores rather than black. These fungi are often drab-colored, difficult to identify, and inedible, and so they are sometimes considered uninteresting. However they are quite common and can occur at times when there are few other mushrooms to be seen. The first report of a gilled mushroom fruiting underwater is Psathyrella aquatica.

The genus name Psathyrella is a diminutive form of Psathyra, derived from the Greek word meaning "friable", psathuros (ψαθυρος). From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Rizokarpaso 3/3/2010 by George Konstantinou

Jew's ear, wood ear, jelly ear - Auricularia auricula-judae (Bull.) J.Schröt. - Cyprus

Auricularia auricula-judae, known as the Jew's ear, wood ear, jelly ear or by a number of other common names, is a species of edible Auriculariales fungus found worldwide. The fruiting body is distinguished by its noticeably ear-like shape and brown colouration; it grows upon wood, especially elder. Its specific epithet is derived from the belief that Judas Iscariot hanged himself from an elder tree; the common name "Judas's ear" eventually became "Jew's ear", while today "jelly ear" and other names are sometimes used. The fungus can be found throughout the year in temperate regions worldwide, where it grows upon both dead and living wood.

In the West, A. auricula-judae was used in folk medicine as recently as the 19th century for complaints including sore throats, sore eyes and jaundice, and as an astringent. Although it is not widely consumed in the West, it has long been popular in China, to the extent that Australia exported large volumes to China in the early twentieth century. Today, the fungus is a popular ingredient in many Chinese dishes, such as hot and sour soup, and also used in Chinese medicine. It is also used in Ghana, as a blood tonic. Modern research into possible medical applications have variously concluded that A. auricula-judae has antitumour, hypoglycemic, anticoagulant and cholesterol-lowering properties.

The fruit body of A. auricula-judae is normally 3 to 8 centimetres (1.2 to 3.1 in) across, but can be as much as 12 centimetres (4.7 in). It is distinctively shaped, typically being reminiscent of a floppy ear, though the fruit bodies can also be cup-shaped. It is normally attached to the substrate laterally and sometimes by a very short stalk. The species has a tough, gelatinous, elastic texture when fresh, but it dries hard and brittle. The outer surface is a bright reddish-tan-brown with a purplish hint, often covered in tiny, downy hairs of a grey colour. It can be smooth, as is typical of younger specimens, or undulating with folds and wrinkles. The colour becomes darker with age.The inner surface is a lighter grey-brown in colour and smooth. It is sometimes wrinkled, again with folds and wrinkles, and may have "veins", making it appear even more ear-like. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Akanthou 21/2/2010 by George Konstantinou

White-footed elf cup - Helvella leucomelaena (Pers.) Nannf. - Cyprus

Helvella leucomelaena, commonly known as the "white-footed elf cup", is a species of fungi in the Helvellaceae family, Pezizales order. As its common name implies, it is characterized by the white coloring of its stem.
The deeply cup-shaped cap of the fruiting body is up to 3 centimetres (1.2 in) broad. The outer surface of the cap is blackish-brown near the top, with the color turning to white as it near the stem; the inner surface of the cup is blackish. The stem can be up to 4 centimetres (1.6 in) long by 0.5 centimetres (0.2 in) thick
In North America, this fungus is rare, but it has been collected in California, Alaska, and the Rocky Mountains. It has also been found in South America and Europe. It typically grows in coniferous forests, and the white stipe may be hidden or obscured by leaves or may be partially buried in the soil.
Consumption of this fungus is not recommended as similar species in the Helvellaceae family contain the toxin gyromitrin.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Athalassa 9/3/2010 by George Konstantinou

Field mushroom - Agaricus campestris L. (1753) - Cyprus

Agaricus campestris is a widely eaten gilled mushroom closely related to the cultivated button mushroom Agaricus bisporus. It iscommonly known as the field mushroom or, in North America, meadow mushroom.
The cap is white, may have fine scales, and is 5 to 10 centimetres (2.0 to 3.9 in) in diameter; it is first hemispherical in shape before flattening out with maturity. The gills are initially pink, then red-brown and finally a dark brown, as is the spore print. The 3 to 10 centimetres (1.2 to 3.9 in) tall stipe is predominantly white and bears a single thin ring. The taste is mild. The white flesh bruises a dingy reddish brown, as opposed to yellow in the inedible (and somewhat toxic) Agaricus xanthodermus and similar species. The thick-walled, elliptical spores measure 5.5–8.0 µm by 4–5 µm. Cheilocystidia are absent

Agaricus campestris is common in fields and grassy areas after rain from late summer onwards worldwide. It is often found on lawns in suburban areas. Appearing in small groups, in fairy rings, or solitary. Owing to the demise of horse-drawn vehicles, and the subsequent decrease in the number of horses on pasture, the old "white outs" of years gone by are becoming rare events. This species is rarely found in woodland.

The mushroom has been reported from Asia, Europe, northern Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and North America (including Mexico)

It is widely collected and eaten, even by those who would not normally eat wild mushrooms. This mushroom is not commercially cultivated on account of its fast maturing and short shelf-life.^[9] Culinary uses of the meadow mushroom include eating it sauteed or fried, in sauces, or even sliced raw and included in salads. In flavor and texture, this mushroom is almost identical to the white button mushroom available in grocery stores in the United States. Be sure to rinse well to dislodge any sand, and also watch out for small, white larvae which tunnel through the stems and caps. Among the similar species mentioned above, there have been cases (in fact the most common cause of fatal fungus poisoning in France) where the deadly toxic destroying angel (Amanita bisporigera) has been consumed by individuals who mistook it for this species. The edibility of specimens collected from lawns is uncertain because of possible contamination with pesticides or other chemicals.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Tseri 29/12/2009 by George Konstantinou

Picoa sp. - Cyprus

Photos Geri 12/2/2010 by George Konstantinou