I really love the shaping the forms of knitted boletes. Perhaps it's the two-toned coloring that contributes to this, but they are just plump and cute and are fun to look at in a big pile of leaves. More on that later. This is violet-gray bolete, which I made for the indoor installation of Niche at Martin Park Nature Center.

Violet-gray bolete is mycorrhizal, which means that it exists in a symbiotic relationship with a nearby tree root system, usually oak or some other hardwood. The fungus' mycelia assist the tree with absorption of water and minerals, while the tree provides nutrition for the fungus. These mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of the mycorrhizae which help it to reproduce.

Find out more about Niche, on exhibit at Martin Park Nature Center

View more from the 52 Forms of Fungi series.