Russulas are notoriously hard to identify, so much so that most of the time I don’t even try. However, this year I feel like I’ve made some progress due to some colorful finds. Russula is a large genus of mushrooms, characterized by brittle gills and stems. If you bend the stipe of most mushrooms, you’llContinue reading “Russula Rainbow”
Tag Archives: mushrooms
Chanterelles!
Chanterelles are out! The upcoming two months are the best time of year, in my opinion, if you are looking to harvest edible mushrooms for the table. I won’t go over how to identify chanterelles, as there are already plenty of resources on that. Instead, I’m just going to share some pictures of the differentContinue reading “Chanterelles!”
Mushroom Report: The Veiled Polypore
I’ve talked about “veiled” mushrooms on this blog before, but the veiled polypore, Cryptoporus volvatus, is different. Usually, a mushroom’s veil helps protect the gills while it is maturing, but then disintegrates when the mushroom is ready to spread its spores. After all, permanently enclosing your spore bearing surfaces makes no sense as it preventsContinue reading “Mushroom Report: The Veiled Polypore”
January Photos and Finds
Not a clear theme for today, just thought I’d share some of the things I’ve found. The featured picture above is some kind of slime mold, probably unidentifiable. It was growing from a dead elm tree, with the bark peeling off. I’ve actually seen these structures on a couple different dead elm trees so IContinue reading “January Photos and Finds”
Mushroom Lingo #9: Polypore
A polypore is just a mushroom with a lot of pores, right? Not quite. Boletes are pored mushrooms, for example, and yet are not polypores. Lenzites betulina doesn’t have pores — it has gills! — and yet it is considered a polypore. What’s going on? As so often with things mushroomy, there isn’t a clearContinue reading “Mushroom Lingo #9: Polypore”
Mushroom Lingo #8: Parasites (and Rhizomorphs)
This one’s not too hard to figure out. In contrast to saprobic fungi, parasitic fungi feed on living organisms, whether those are trees, other fungi, or even insects—as is the case with the famous Cordyceps militaris (see Planet Earth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuKjBIBBAL8) Trees undoubtedly bear the brunt of fungal parasitism, however. These parasites are often specific toContinue reading “Mushroom Lingo #8: Parasites (and Rhizomorphs)”
Mushroom Lingo #7: Mycorrhizal
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”
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”
recycled paper clips 