Spectacular Mushrooms

I only just noticed these eye-catching mushrooms beside my car in a parking area at one of our community beaches. I was passing the time as I waited to meet a friend, and thought I'd pick up the small bits of litter lying here and there beside the car - bottle caps, plastic tops, and tear-off strips to while away the time. I was rewarded by this fantastic display as I started focusing on the ground:

They're so gaudy! They look as if they're made of colored wax, or a piece of orange Gouda cheese with its bright red, waxy coating. These are called Amanita jacksonii, (the American Slender Caesar mushroom) and are a native to our woodlands.

They start off completely enclosed in the white base, which resembles a rounded egg appearing from the earth. The orange and red inner parts tear the egg open as it ascends and opens up, leaving behind the white base, known as the  - wait for it - .... volva!

You can see a small mound of earth pushed aside as this one emerged

Over a few days the rounded caps spread and open outward like an umbrella. Up close, there are striations on the red cap, and a lovely texture on the orange stalk.