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Urnula craterium MAKES A HISSING SOUND when releasing cloud of spores


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On a recent hike in Mid-Missouri I found some Devil's Urns, and I like to blow a puff of air on them to see if they'll release a cloud of spores (who doesn't?). Well, I was absolutely delighted when I could actually hear a hissing sound when the spores were released!

Audible spore release--the MOVIE! (opens in my Flickr account)

I'm kind of surprised I've never seen this mentioned in any mushroom text I've read. Seems many people know about a sharp tap or a puff of breath inducing the sudden release of a mass of spores, but nobody said anything about it being AUDIBLE!

I posted this on Facebook, and a Cornell University mycologist chimed in and pointed me here:

http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ia/researchesonfung06bull#page/350/mode/2up

to a book written in 1934 by A. H. Reginald Buller (republished in 1958, as far as I can tell), and there's a whole chapter on "The Sound Made by Fungus Guns"!--although I don't know if I'd HOLD THE CUP TO MY EAR, as he did, p. 333: "During this time I felt my ear being sprayed with the contents of many thousands of asci...". It's a charming read, I recommend a look (careful, though--the site froze my browser twice).

Anyway, next time YOU blow vigorously on a cup fungus to see if you can make it put out a cloud of spores, you're not imagining things if you think you HEAR something!

I'm watching for my chance to get back out there on an OVERCAST day to try to get a better version of this, and I'll bring my 6" tripod next time.

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  • 1 month later...

that is awesome! testing every asco i see :penguin:

I hyperventilated my way through the woods, trying to make more do it. Got a few more shots, none as obvious as this one. I'll keep trying.

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