It’s Autumn in Australia and mushroom time.

I stumbled upon an amazing white mushroom in a Eucalypt forest at altitude around 800m on Mt Macedon in Victoria after the rains which was so big and white with a veil of delicate frills all around blowing in the wind and white drops on the ground nearby (hence the Flour in its name)  that it looked like it was artificial and someone had just dropped a can of white paint on to it!

As I understand it, all species of Amanita mushrooms have white gills underneath, and most are poisonous – these ones are not likely to be fatal, unlike the Death Cap (Amanita phalloides) with its amanitin toxins which destroy the liver in a few days.

The gigantic Amanita farinacea mushroom was adjacent a massive Eucalypt tree – I placed my iPhone 6s for reference and although I did not have a ruler, the cap of it measured at least 30cm in diameter – this species is usually said to grow to 10cm diameter.

A few days later, I found a more juvenile specimen some 10 meters away which stood some 6″ tall and perhaps 4-5″ in diameter:

Both of the above were taken in low light at dusk, hand held with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 II Micro Four Thirds camera and Panasonic Leica-D 25mm f/1.4 lens for Four Thirds, the first image shot at f/2.8, ISO 800 and 1/20th sec while the second image was shot at f/5.6, ISO 800 and 1/30th sec.

Some more common poisonous Amanita mushrooms:

Everyone’s favorite fairy tale fantasy mushroom – the colorful, warty, Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) from an oak forest:

Olympus OM–D E-M1 II with Olympus mZD 75mm f/1.8 lens at f/1.8, ISO 200 and 1/100th sec.

The Fly Agaric is likely to cause delirium, hallucinations and possibly coma and seizures within 2hrs of ingestion – if someone was stupid enough to try eating one.

and presumably a related couple in a pine forest:

The above was taken in very low light under dense pine forest canopy hiding adjacent to a fallen tree trunk, taken hand held with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 II Micro Four Thirds camera and Panasonic Leica-D 25mm f/1.4 lens for Four Thirds – f/2.5, ISO 500, 1/10th sec – thanks to the awesome image stabilizer in the E-M1 II.

And, who can resist some fall foliage?

The above was taken in very low light at dusk under a canopy of trees, taken hand held with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 II Micro Four Thirds camera and Panasonic Leica-D 25mm f/1.4 lens for Four Thirds – f/1.4, ISO 200, 1/15th sec – again, thanks to the awesome image stabilizer in the E-M1 II.