Native White Punk Fungi discovered at Reserve

During the Clean-Up Australia Day 2017 volunteer Event at the Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve this year, one of the volunteers noticed this unusual looking large white fungi on the ground amongst the forest floor mulch under some Sydney Blue Gum trees.  It resembled a piece of old foam from a distance, until closer inspection discovered that it was in-fact a large fungi.  

Photos were taken in comparrision with hand-size and sent off the Fungi experts at South East Queensland Fungi Group for identification.

Megan Prance tells us that the fungi is Laetiporus portentosus which holds a funny common name of "White Punk".  Megan says that  "It would have been growing a few metres up a nearby Eucalypt. The insects eat out the flesh and leave a skeleton like mass. A new one will probably grow on the Eucalypt".

Laetiporus portentosus  White Punk Fungi, Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, March 2017

Laetiporus portentosus  White Punk Fungi, Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, March 2017

Thank you Megan for sharing your expertise for the identification of this massive fungi.

J.G.

Further Details:

Laetiporus portentosus  

White Punk

Conservation Status:  Not Listed

Scientific Classification

Class: 

Agaricomycetes

Order: 

Polyporales

Family: 

Fomitopsidaceae

Genus: 

Laetiporus

Species: 

portentosus

Clean Up Australia Day 2017 Rogers Reserve Highfields

The fourth annual Clean-Up Australia Day Event was again held at the Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve in Highfields, organized by the Friends of Rogers Reserve Volunteer Group.

A large number of volunteers and children turned out to do their part to 'Keep Australia Beautiful" and to show their love for the reserve.

It was another successful event with 2 1/2 bags of rubbish and one bag of recycling collected.  This is a very good result for such a large area frequented by the public. 

 We are grateful for the members of the public who pick up rubbish within and around the Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve on their daily walks, and also for the new installation of a wheelie bin at the reserve entrance by Toowoomba Regional Council, so that people can dispose of their rubbish correctly and conveniently.

Thank you to everyone who attended and for your community spirit.  See you again next year!

J.G.

A few of the Clean-Up Australia Day 2017 Volunteers about to begin the clean-up at the Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve, Highfields, Toowoomba Region.

Our youngest and cutest volunteer this year, young Zeb and his mother Talisha who did a fabulous job during the Clean Up Australia Day Event at Charles & Motee Rogers Bushland Reserve Highfields.

Clean-up Volunteer, young Zeb, keen to get started in a messy spot off the reserve walking track.

Some of the Clean up Australia Day Volunteers, before starting the Clean-up in a messy patch within the reserve.  It didn't take long to transform this area back to now nature intended it to be.

The 2017 Clean-up Australia Day final result, before we took it off for disposal and recycling at the Kleinton Refuse Station.

Judi Gray & Gary Alcorn from the Friends of Rogers Reserve Volunteer Group with at the end of the event.