Like “veil,” this word is always a spelling challenge for me, although probably with better reason. Mycorrhizal is pronounced “MY-ko-RYE-zal.” It comes from the Greek words for fungus (“myco”) and root (“rhiza”). A mushroom is mycorrhizal, as opposed to saprobic or parasitic, when it depends on a symbiotic relationship with a plant for survival. InContinue reading “Mushroom Lingo #7: Mycorrhizal”
Category Archives: hiking
Mushroom Lingo #6: Saprobic
A mushroom is saprobic if it survives by decomposing dead organic matter. This separates it from parasitic fungi (who feed on living organic matter) and mycorrhizal fungi, which receive sugars from trees in exchange for certain nutrients. Many urban mushrooms are saprobic. For example, the parasols above, which are decomposing the wood chips in myContinue reading “Mushroom Lingo #6: Saprobic”
Photo Recap: My First Online Mushroom Foray
What is an online mushroom foray, you say? It’s actually not an experience unique to the pandemic, and it’s not hunting virtual mushrooms. You go mushroom hunting like normal, only you document your finds a little more carefully and upload them online. They last for a certain period of time, this one a week, andContinue reading “Photo Recap: My First Online Mushroom Foray”
In the Spotlight: The Chicken Fat Mushroom
The Chicken Fat Mushroom, or Suillus americanus, has a doubly interesting name. Firstly, why “Chicken Fat”? I think it’s an incredibly apt name, given the overall slimy/tackiness of the mushroom and these fat-like globules that seem to coagulate around the base: And secondly, there is the specific name “americanus.” What makes this mushroom American? MostContinue reading “In the Spotlight: The Chicken Fat Mushroom”
Mushroom Lingo #5: Slime Veil
Yet another kind of veil! The good news is after three posts (partial veil, universal veil, and now slime veil) I think I’ve finally figured out how to spell it: v-e-i-l. The spelling of the word is to me almost as strange as the thing itself. A slime veil is basically a kind of universalContinue reading “Mushroom Lingo #5: Slime Veil”
Backyard Naturalism: The Grey Catbird.
Taking a break from fungi today to explore a sound I’ve been hearing since the season of morels and mayapples. (Unfortunately, it turns out you can’t upload audio content to wordpress without a premium account, but “Susan’s in the Garden” has got us covered over on youtube!) At first, we thought we had a babyContinue reading “Backyard Naturalism: The Grey Catbird.”
Mushroom Lingo #4: Universal Veil
Building off of last week’s discussion of partial veils, let’s talk the UNIVERSAL VEIL… A universal veil is a membrane that fully covers the immature bodies of certain mushrooms. Sometimes it makes them look like they are bursting out of eggs: As they mature, the universal veil disintegrates. How it disintegrates is what you wantContinue reading “Mushroom Lingo #4: Universal Veil”
Earthstars and Coral Fungi
Yesterday, I was lucky enough to spot two fungi I would never have noticed if I hadn’t specifically been looking for mushrooms. Which would have been a shame, because they’re both pretty cool. The first, above, is Ramaria formosa (most likely), distinctive for its pink branches with yellow tips. Unlike one of the other coralContinue reading “Earthstars and Coral Fungi”
Mushroom Lingo #3: Partial Veil
“Partial veil” is a rather mysterious, almost existential, name for a thin covering of the gills or pores on the underside of a mushroom’s cap. You are actually much more familiar with partial veils than you realize, because Agaricus bisporus, the supermarket button mushroom features one. As the mushroom gets older, the partial veil disintegratesContinue reading “Mushroom Lingo #3: Partial Veil”
Mushroom Lingo #2: Bruising
A key identifying feature for many mushrooms is whether they “bruise” or “stain” a certain color. To test this you don’t have to punch your mushroom, or drop it off a small cliff. Simply scratch the surface with a knife, or if you don’t have one, your fingernail, as above. It can also be usefulContinue reading “Mushroom Lingo #2: Bruising”
recycled paper clips 