”Spotting bracket funghi is always a great way to explore. These have a wonderful maze on the underside with so much history, myth and uses.
GeorgeFlavour Fred
My passion for greek mythology comes through here. Absolutely love this read more and watch below.
(Daedalea Quercina)
A bracket mushroom in the order of polyporales, genus of Daedalea. Found all year round. It has this intricate impossible to escape maze on the underside that makes me lose focus when moving it from side to side.
Its scientific name directly correlates to this labyrinth-like underside where the spores drop from. In Greek mythology Daedalus (father of Icarus) constructed a labyrinth at Knossos for King Minos of Crete, and in that labyrinth a Minotaur (half-man, half bull) was imprisoned. Where Quercus is relation to the genus of the “Oak”.
This mushroom is also revered by shamanic hunter-gatherer tribes as it’s mysterious pattern, when stared into, would assist in entering a higher state of consciousness.
It is another fungus in a family that’s being used for “bioremediation” or now being coined as “mycoremediation” as it been shown that it can break down toxic dyes and pigments.
Many other sources talk of it being used as a horses comb when the horse has sensitive skin. And also the smouldering mushroom can anaesthetise bees which is handy to collect honey.
