gecko

Howdy folks, late notice I know but worth a look if you can. Moon will start moving into the shadow of the Earth at 6:50pm becoming total at 7:52pm. mid eclipse is at 8:37pm (thats when full moon is) and total will end at 9:22pm. The Moon will leave the Earth's shadow at around 11:22pm. Use binoculars or a telescope to get a better view but it will still be good to just watch it as is.

Bloody stupid pricks! All they had to do is photocopy the relevant parts they were after and then leave the book intact for others to read/learn from. Libraries are for everyone. Particularly good for those who can't afford to buy books or for poeple who only need a small snippet of info from an expensive book. pain in the arse!

I've got some bags of sawdust (ecologs) spawned with G.lucidum a couple of weeks ago and it's ripping through them. cant wait till it fruits.... < slurps another gulp of reishi tea>... Carpet shrooms eh? I had some Peziza sp. fruiting in a wet patch in the carpet a few months back! Yeah yeah... ok, it was just a leak in the roof alright.

Hakea laurina gets my vote.

The main edible microrrhizal species growing under pines in Aust. are all introduced. They are:- Suillus luteus -Slippery jacks S.granulatus - " Tricholoma terreum - ?Mousey , or Dirty Tricholoma Lactarius deliciosus -Saffron Milkcap L. sanguifluus .....maybe? I've not seen this one , but have heard rumours of them growing in Aust. There are no really good meaty, exotic edible boletes growing in Aust as far as I know (yet! ). Boletus edulis was first sighted and documented in New Zealand (Christchurch) in 1993, so it may just be a matter of time before it is seen here in Aust.

While checking out fungi up around there last year I saw probably the biggest, healthiest python I've seen in years. We stayed for about 15-20 min and just watched it cross the path and cruise around not too worried about us being there. Still didn't find Chantrelles.

The first two pics, I have never seen this species, and have no clue as to what it may be The bright yellow (Spongey?) underneath ... looks like a bolete maybe. Cantharellus... looks like it to me. I've looked up around there a couple of times for them but never spotted them. I didn't quite work out what the season was for them. Now unfortunately I don't live close by there. They do look tempting!

I get them from stationery suppliers or newsagents. Larger ones for lots of seed or for transporting cuttings etc, just ziplock bags from supermarket

Montanoa bipinnatifida Tithonia diversifolia Both of these are just great for this purpose. They're in the daisy family and grow 2-4m tall easily grown from cuttings. Tithonia has yellow sunflower like fls., Montanoa , white and smaller. Montanoa has soft leaves with just the right amount of 'grab' and not too much 'slip'n'spread' like shiny leaves, if you know what I mean A couple of leaves together if you want 2 ply or if you worry about your fingers going through. Solanum ?mauritianun 'Wild tobacco' weed is a handy one if out in the bush . Kapok fibre? Lambs ears (Stachys byzantina) ...Oh so soft! Hoja Santa (Piper auritum), big leaves with a nice sassafras fragrance. Paperbark from Melaleuca spp. or birch (Betula papyrifera).

I think its www.speciesorchids.com Also, I seem to recall seeing a reference to Bletilla striata (? B.hyacyntha) 'bulbs' being used in TCM. It's a terrestrial species that grows well in garden beds. Loses all aerial parts over winter .

Yeah, you could try Burleigh Park Orchids in Qld. They sell flasks of seedlings and also plants. I'm remember seeing it (O.cebolleta) on the list of flasks about 2yrs ago . That doesn't mean they've done them again since. I had O.cebolleta about 18-20yrs ago just before my orchidophilia went into remission the first time . It was among a few other species I donated to the Melb. Bot. Gardens. I wonder if it survived?

Simple way of lookimg at it is that fats and oils are esters Ester = acid + alcohol in this case Fatty acids + glycerol (a complex alcohol) Transesterification for Biodiesel is replacing the glycerol with methyl alcohol Leaving three molecules of a methyl ester of fatty acids for every one of triglyceride ester this is acheived with the use of a catylist , potessium or sodium hydroxide. Byproducts from this process are Glycerol and the hydroxides and usually a little bit of soap esp. if more hydroxide is used. It makes a good hand cleaner or detergent for really dirty stuff but usually waay more than you can use! this is the only method I'm aware of in making BD apart from straight oil on its own that's not to say the only way -I'm not a chemist. Hope this helps. Hey Torsten, is the sulphuric acid used to neutralise the hydroxide or is it a different process altogether?

I always use a sprig of Epazote when I cook black beans. I put it when I add the garlic ( 1 clove, whole) and salt. ie. 5-10 min before having the first serve. usually make enough to last a day or two. this is best served with fresh corn tortillas made for every meal of it. also avocado when in season or sour cream, and fresh salsa. -salsa- ripe red tomatos or even better, green tomatillos (Physalis ixocarpa)- finely chopped red onion- finely chopped chile jalapeno- blistered over a flame, skinned and finely chopped fresh lime juice salt mix together and sit for 1/2 hour or so just before serving add chopped coriander Sometimes if I make tacos I lay an epazote leaf across the tortilla before adding the shredded beef and cheese. The tortilla is then rolled up and held in place with a toothpick while it is shallow fried in oil. when cooked the taco will hold it's shape. served with salsa yum

Just as a guess I'd say P.caerulea. Well it looks like it to me It's commonly used as a vigorous and hardy rootstock for grafting P.edulis cultivars. It often outlives the desired passionfruit and you're left with this suckering, not so useful plant. For this reason I don't plant it, and also discourage the planting of Passionfruit grafted onto this stock in climates where P.edulis can be grown on it's own roots. That being said, it does extend the climatic range and reliability of P.edulis

Conospermum sp. Proteaceae The 'other' Smoke bush maybe? I find it bloody iritating when I lose labels of plants then can't remember. I do it all the time.

Tetradenia sp. maybe? T.riparia or the old name Iboza riparia African origin 2m h, showy mauve or white fls. smells a bit like nutmeg? worth a try. softwood cuttings

I'm wanting to go pick some Lactarius deliciosus (or L. sanguifluus if possible) in Victoria. I'm in the north near Murray R., so would make a special trip to get them. If anyone could confirm any sightings anywhere between say, Bendigo and Melbourne, that'd be a great help. Suillus spp.?... Tricholoma spp.? thanx

Travelling home from Melbourne (via the scenic route) on sunday I stopped for 5min near Daylesford to check out a pine forest. I found 2 Lactarius deliciosa, lots of Amanita muscaria, 1 small Suillus luteus and heaps of about 7 other species all growing within a stones throw of the road. The stem butts of the milk caps have been placed in direct contact with the actively growing roots of some Aleppo Pines that I potted on today...fingers crossed I had the milk caps for breakfast cooked In butter cream sauce, pine nuts and Parsley. First time I've had them, they're a nice mild , slightly spicey flavour. I like the texture. Unlike any other mushroom I've had before. My piss turned orange by around 11 o'clock

The other thing to do would be to try and contact P.D.Bostock (Peter) via Qld Herbarium. He's the main contributor to the Pteridophyta section of the above publication that I mentioned. If anyone knows about the plant in question, he most likely would.

Just saw this and checked out my copy of 'Queensland plants: names and distribution'(1997) published by the Qld Herbarium. In Pteridophyta section there is no mention of Pyrrosia abbamuta. The species listed are as follows:- Pyrrosia confluens (R.Br.) Ching - Qld. P.confluens (R.Br.) Ching var. confluens - Qld, NSW, Melanesia P.confluens var. dielsii (C.Chr.) Hovencamp - Qld P.laneolata (L.) Farw. - Qld, Niugini, Melanesia, Malesia, Asia, Pacific Islands P.longifolia (Burm.f.) C.V.Morton - Qld, Niugini, Melanesia, Malesia, Asia P.rupestris (R.Br.) Ching - Qld, NSW, Vic, Niugini, New Zealand So... P.abbamuta either -exists in Aust. outside of, and not in Qld. (N.T. or W.A-although not indicated in the above text) - is a synonym of one or more of the above listed species (synonyms are not listed in above text) - exists outside of Australia? - or doesn't exist - ...or text is out of date Hope this helps narrow down your search

Very interesting... just a few weeks ago I started searching for various Ferula spp. (I grew F. asafoetida about 20yrs ago but dont have it growing any more- anyone here have seed?) While reasearching I came across a scant reference to the extinct species mentioned. Thanks for filling in the gaps! I intend growing F. communis as a possible host to Pleurotus Eryngii in my garden. Currently I have a couple of plants of F. communis var. glauca. Ive lined up to get F.communis later on in the year along with another species (can't remember atm) Also several Eryngium spp. for semi-naturalizing King Oysters. Sad fact that currently, 'extinction is forever' just like 'prevention is the best medicine' We can't rely on science to fix up a fuck up!

No, I've not tried to grow them. I've been lookin for them though, especially the first two you mentioned for Hericium try rainforest for Fistulina - dead Eucalyptus logs or stumps Laccocephalum -look in Euc forest after fires or in disturbed areas. thats when they fruit apparently.

G.marginata; taste (don't!) and smell of cucumbers; sporeprint rusty-brown;contains amanita type toxins, not common. ACT,NSW,Vic. G.hypnorum; smell strong and mealy;spores yellowish-brown to rusty, almond shaped, finely warty. G.patagonica; spores rust-brown, almond shaped, warty. G.unicolor; spores yellow-brown, " " " Ref. Furher, B (2005) Shepherd, C.J. and C.J. Totterdell (1988)

Hey shroomy , they're beautiful photos! Is that last photo of a Grifola sp.?

Yeah the fuckers are everywhere round here too! I had a feed of mushies a week or so ago... they were stinky like Y. stainers but didnt go yellow till I cooked em. but I cooked them in butter so who knows? I didn't get sick at all, but their odour was just like them. Hey Naja, are you gonna whip a bit out of one an do a culture? If it is A.augustus i'm sure there'd be people who'd want to grow it. It looks bloody delicious to me, but then again, I'd proly eat yellow fuckin stainers an not know the difference!