Back Story:

This Lichenomphalia umbellifera caught my eye when I was out foraging because of how perfectly the translucent cap was catching the sun’s rays. This specific species forms a symbiotic (mutually beneficial) relationship with unicellular algae. Mushrooms don’t generally grow in direct sunlight, so seeing one in this situation is exceedingly rare. The shape of the cap gave me the feeling the mushroom was stretching out and soaking in the sun’s warmth, just like the rest of us love to do.