I previously blogged that the oldest photo of a fungus from Aotearoa New Zealand that I could find was published in 1926. This was Phallobata alba (as Hysterangium lobatum). The thing about blogging about the oldest, biggest or heaviest is that it set a challenge for others to prove you wrong Anna Chinn has done so.
Anna share with me a link she got from an archivist in Taranaki of jelly wood ear or Taranaki wool (Auricularia cornea) published in the Auckland Weekly News 22August 1901 (page 11). The full photo caption is “Specimens of New Zealand Fungus. This Fungus is gathered in the North New Zealand forests for export to China, where it is said to be used as soup for the Chinese.”
I blogged about the commercial gathering of Taranaki wool including photos of the landscape in which it was being gathered but I didn’t have any photos of the fungus from that time. So this photo links up nicely with the landscape photos.
I look forward to the next gazumping.
Reference
Specimens of New Zealand Fungus. Record Id AWNS-19010822-11-6 Libraries, Heritage Images, Auckland Council
Spores, moulds, and fungi 