The verdict of the gardening grandfather
As soon as he saw the photos, his eyes lit up: “Ah, look at that! Those are mushrooms shaped like birds’ nests !” We were both fascinated and a little incredulous. How could simple mushrooms so accurately imitate tiny nests filled with eggs? Yet, nature sometimes has more imagination than a painter or sculptor.
Mushrooms that think they’re birds
These little marvels are called Nidulariaceae — a scientific name for fungi that resemble miniature birds’ nests. Their distinguishing feature? They contain tiny, round capsules, similar to eggs, within their cup-like structure. But these “eggs” won’t hatch into chicks: they contain spores, those famous microscopic particles that allow the fungus to reproduce.
And this is where nature truly shines: when it rains, each drop of water that splashes onto the tiny nest scatters the capsules around, thus ensuring the dispersal of the spores. A natural system of fascinating precision and beauty!
A lesson in curiosity and wonder
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