Rotorua Canopy Tours takes you deep into the native forest where you will find many different forms and species of NZ fungi. Find them in-between trees and plants and on the canopy floor. There are so many amazing and different looking shapes colours and sizes to see.
Here are some of the NZ fungi that can be found in the Dansey Road Scenic Reserve while on a zipline forest adventure:
- Blue Mushroom
- Stink Horn Fungus
- Icicle Fungi
- Purple Coral Fungi
- Honey Fungus
1. Blue Mushroom (Entoloma hochstetteri or Werewere Kokako)
The blue mushroom is native to New Zealand and you will recognise it from our $50 note also. It is featured with the kokako that has blue wattles and apparently the kokako gets its blue colour from the bird rubbing on the blue mushrooms. You will find the blue mushroom in moss or on the canopy floor and it is still not known if this NZ fungi is poisonous or not.
Photo: The blue mushroom which can easily be spotted on a Canopy Tour.
2. Stink Horn Fungus
The stinkhorn is a very interesting type of NZ fungi. The fruiting part of the body emerges from the ground as an egg like structure. At some stage in development the stinkhorn is covered with a foul smelling slime which can be smelt from a few meters away. They also can be very different in their appearances but they all share these two distinct features.
3. Icicle Fungi
This type of NZ fungi is white and fleshy and grows on dead or dying wood also. The fruiting body resembles icicle-like spines. This fungi is edible and apparently when it is cooked it is delicious and tastes like lobster. It is a very common native forest fungi in Rotorua so keep an eye out for them.
Photo: The edible icile fungi
4. Purple Coral Fungi (Clavaria Zollingeri)
This purple coral fungi is a rare species and was only found in our forest last year. The fruit bodies can grow up to 10cm tall and are violet but become dull grey/brown when they are old. Look out for it on your Cannopy Tour – it will typically be found growing on the ground in the woodland litter.
Photo: Try and spot the Purple Coral Fungi on your Rotorua Canopy Tour!
5. Honey Fungus
Honey Fungus is the common name given to many different species of fungi that attack and kill the roots of woody and enduring plants. The most common characteristic of honey fungus is white fungal growth that appears between the bark and wood. In Autumn look our for clumps of honey coloured toadstools appear on infected stumps.
4. Hericium novae-zealandiae
This is Hericium novae-zealandiae , a relative to the well-known lion’s mane (which isn’t found in New Zealand). This guy, on the other hand, is endemic to New Zealand so, found nowhere else on this planet but New Zealand!
