when i was a kid, back in the day, we used to call these fairy rings or fairy circles. the fairies leave them after they are done dancing... for you to enjoy and so that you know that they were there.
* It all starts with a rotten bit of wood or something (At the centre of the circle) - typically a cut down tree without the stump/roots being removed.
* The fungus body is entirely underground and grows outwards.
* At its extremities it throws up its fruit - i.e. toadstalls in the autumn.
* Next year the circle will be bigger, because the underground fungus root will have grown wider.
Eventually it gets too big to self sustain and dies, so it doesn't cover the whole wide world.
when i was a kid, back in the day, we used to call these fairy rings or fairy circles. the fairies leave them after they are done dancing... for you to enjoy and so that you know that they were there.
Magical mushrooms!
my friend russell has provided the answer:
--- snip ---
* It all starts with a rotten bit of wood or something (At the centre of the circle) - typically a cut down tree without the stump/roots being removed.
* The fungus body is entirely underground and grows outwards.
* At its extremities it throws up its fruit - i.e. toadstalls in the autumn.
* Next year the circle will be bigger, because the underground fungus root will have grown wider.
Eventually it gets too big to self sustain and dies, so it doesn't cover the whole wide world.
--- snip ---
so now we know - thanks russell !