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Fairy Ring

It is a circular pattern formed by fungi (mushrooms) growing in grasslands. The circles formed by the mushrooms can be of different sizes. some are small while some can grow up to 600 meters in diameter. These rings are found during the transition period from summer to autumn after wet weather. 

There are folklore tales on fairy rings. In English and Celtic folklore, fairy rings were thought to be the result of fairies and elves dancing in a circle. In German folklore, it was believed that witches danced in circles in celebration of a spring exactly six months before Halloween. In Austrian mythology, dragons were thought to have made those circles on the grass with their fiery tail.
A single fungus grows on a patch of grassland. Underground, there are small threads called mycelium that sprout and spread out in a small circle. After a year, fruiting bodies form at the edges of the circle and come out of the ground.

The mycelium over time uses all the nutrients around it to grow. Eventually, a complete ring is formed and it continues to expand over the years. Fairy rings can be decades old when not disrupted. it can get disrupted by mole holes or plowing.




Credits: Harini


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