Marasmius rotula, the pinwheel mushroom, is a fungus in the family Marasmiaceae. Widespread in the Northern Hemisphere, it was first described scientifically in 1772 by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli. The mushrooms are characterized by thin whitish caps up to 2.0 cm (0.8 in) wide that are sunken in the center and pleated with scalloped margins. The wiry black hollow stalks measure up to 8.0 cm (3.1 in) long by 1.5 mm (0.06 in) thick. On the underside of the caps are widely spaced white gills, attached to a collar encircling the stalk. The mushrooms grow in groups or clusters on decaying wood such as moss-covered logs and stumps. Spore release is dependent upon sufficient moisture. Dried mushrooms may revive after rehydrating and release spores for up to three weeks, much longer than most gilled mushrooms. Although the mushrooms are not generally considered edible, they produce a unique peroxidase enzyme that is attracting research interest for use in bioengineering applications.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marasmius_rotula

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1786:

Ten days after being formed by an earthquake, a landslide dam on the Dadu River in China was destroyed by an aftershock, causing a flood that killed an estimated 100,000 people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1786_Kangding-Luding_earthquake

1861:

American Civil War: The Confederate Army only suffered eight casualties in its victory at the Battle of Big Bethel in York County, Virginia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Big_Bethel

1957:

Led by John Diefenbaker, the Progressive Conservative Party won a plurality of House of Commons seats in the Canadian federal election. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1957_Canadian_federal_election

1987:

Mass protests demanding direct presidential elections broke out across South Korea. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_Democratic_Struggle

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

cynegetic: (hunting, rare) Of or relating to hunting (especially with dogs). https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cynegetic

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Children are willing to expose themselves to experiences. We aren't. Grownups always say they protect their children, but they're really protecting themselves. Besides, you can't protect children. They know everything.   --Maurice Sendak https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Maurice_Sendak