According to Fungus threat to dairy cows soars, by Richard Woodd:

The facial eczema threat to dairy herds has soared to critical levels in parts of Taranaki this week in perfect growing conditions.

Facial eczema is a disease which causes lowered production and sometimes death from liver damage. Fungal spores produced by the fungus Pithomyces chartarum growing on pasture produce a toxin which when ingested by cattle damage the liver and bile ducts.

The damaged liver cannot rid the body of wastes and a breakdown product of chlorophyll builds up in the body causing sensitivity to sunlight, which in turn causes inflammation of the skin. Exposed unpigmented or thin skin thickens and peels.

Pithomyces spores (courtesy of Bryce Kendrick and Mycolog)

That is a strange chain of events linking a fungus, the environment, and cow faces. Pithomyces is a genus of dematiaceous conidial fungi. The toxin in question is called sporidesmin.

Kikuyu Poisoning

In not too far away (from New Zealand) New South Wales, a fungus is also causing worry. It apparently isn’t the same one that causes the facial eczema, since the article Grass fungus can kill cattle, from the Tweed Daily News states:

“The fungus produces a toxin that irritates the third stomach, causing it to fail to perform its normal job of absorbing fluid,” he <a veterinarian> said.

“This causes a build-up of water in the main stomach or rumen, giving the cattle a bloated appearance. The weight of this fluid can be too much for the heart and lungs to bear.”

Strangely, this ailment is called “Kikuyu poisoning,” named after the grass the cows eat, even though the grass is actually good fodder, and it is only after a wet spell that the fungus grows on the grass causing it to become toxic.

Simon Duff's mushroom floor lamp

Table lamps that look like mushrooms are nothing new. Several versions of such lamps are available, and they are usually intended as small table lamps or accent pieces.

However, a post at Geeky Gadgets caught my interest in a floor version of a mushroom lamp from Australian designer Simon Duff. Duff is known for creating stylish and practical furniture concepts for home or office, as well as for commercial or industrial use.

It’s not a brand new design, having been featured on furniture and design websites since it first appeared in 2006. According to Simon Duff’s website:

An example of ultra low wattage LED lighting technology, the Mushroom Floor Lamp uses just a fraction of the power standard light globes use. The adopted shape of a mushroom combined with turbine like gills is symbolic of the union between sustainable design and new technology assisting us to reduce the impact we have on our planet.

For a floor lamp it’s on the small side, but Simon defends its practicality. “The mushroom lamp is a floor lamp and is basically the size of a 1/2 metre cube,” he explains, “so its not really that small.”

The mushroom floor lamp in white

It certainly would make a striking addition to any living space. “It serves as a mood lamp and creates a lovely warm glow capable of lighting up a small room or corner effectively,” he says. “Its high output LED light source can also be dimmed to create different moods.”

Because it employs cool-operating LEDs it can be safely placed on any surface, wood, plastic, metal  or carpet. The mushroom floor lamp is being manufactured in a limited run of 200. However, according to Simon, “We always hold stock and have recently release a mini table mushroom that is approximately  half the size and available in a range of colours.”

How exactly does a designer get the inspiration to create such a product? “The idea to design this lamp literally just popped into my head one day,” says Duff, ” and it evolved as more of a personal quest to create a sustainable product that promotes the use of organic materials and new technology.”

“The lamp is primarily hand crafted and they are beautifully finished. I think every single sale has resulted in an reply email stating how happy our customers are with their purchase.”

If you need one it’ll set set you back about $1750 AUS.

The heck with it. I don’t get the title, but Not mushroom for error is a full-length article about Gary and Michele Akers who recently started a small mushroom growing operation in Australia.

It has involved a lot of hard work and a fair bit of trial and error but the pair have now established a market for high quality mushrooms up and down the coast. Their white mushrooms (including buttons, mediums, cups and flats) and Swiss brown mushrooms are supplied on a daily basis to restaurants from Nowra to Bermagui including Bannisters in Mollymook, Pier One in Batemans Bay and the River Café in Moruya.

They are also regulars at the Capital Region Farmers’ Markets and Southside Woden Markets in Canberra. Gary and Michele admit Shoalhaven Mushrooms is a very small operation, describing it as a “fish egg in the sea” compared to some other mushroom producers and probably the smallest in NSW, if not Australia.

I sent a message asking for some clarification as to the meaning of the title (no response yet). I hope it is some really cool Aussie slang.

Addendum (01/12/10): I asked a fourteen year-old, who explained it to me in about 5 seconds. Not.Mush.Room.For.Error. Get it? Duh!