I came across this huge fungi (?), right inside our entrance gate at Struan Farm! It's been an interesting season for them, both in terms of variety and numbers.
It's the size of a human head, no joke, and also looks somewhat "brainy." I wasn't able to identify it in my "Mushrooms and Other Fungi of New Zealand" guide by Geoff Ridley. However I had the bright idea of trying to track him down, and discovered Geoff writes a blog that has his contact details as well as heaps of information on fungi. So I emailed him this photo with an explanatory note. He was nice enough to respond. Turns out it is, appropriately enough, a "skull puffball, calvatica caniformis." It is very brainy indeed!
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