Sunday, October 27, 2013
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Finding cool stuff in the woods
The leaves are starting to change.
The mushrooms are getting wrinkled and sad looking.
This Bolete is aging fast without the humidity; it's cap is cracking
Here's a closer look.
This is the last of the wild flowers.
Earlier this week I found an interesting polypore called Inonotous dryadeus. It is commonly called the weeping conk because of the amber fluid present when the mushroom is fresh and young. These fungi inhabit tree trunks or branches consuming the wood. The pores or tubes are on the underside. You can see the gray part of this mushroom is the pore surface.
The same day I found this very seasonal looking mushroom, Amanita flavoconia.
and a pretty purple mushroom, Laccaria ochropurpurea
Copper found this.
We were over on the white trail.
And I found this. Deer skull.
This recent find is one the largest Amanita's I have ever seen. It's called Amanita Atkinsoniana.
And on the smaller side; these Psyatharella
This toothed mushroom was also on the white trail. Its called Hericium erinaceus
Tooth fungi produce spores on the tooth-like or spine-like projections.
There are many ways mushrooms produce spores. However, the main categories are the Boletes, Polypores and the Gilled mushrooms.
Boletes are characterized by a spongy surface of pores. From the Mushroomexpert.com site this is a way of thinking about Boletes. "Imagine taking the cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels, and affixing a lot of seeds to the inside of the tube. Then repeat the procedure with many other tubes, and glue them together. Suspend all the tubes from a board, so they hang downward--then wait for the seeds to fall out. The tubes are so tightly packed that you only see the pore surface the opening of the tubes that looks like the surface of a sponge."
Here's a close up of a Bolete pore surface, a slippery jack, Suillus luteus. You can see the tubes.
A less close up pic of the same mushroom.
and a right side up view.
Gilled mushrooms produce spores along the platelike or blade like structures attached to the underside of the cap.
Here's a look at a mushroom with gills. This is an Amanita from the Lepidella Section.
From the Mushroomexpert.com; "The gilled mushrooms are spore factories, created for the sole purpose of manufacturing microscopic spores to be carried away by air currents and with any luck, to land in a suitable location to germinate and start a new organism. The odds of any individual spore having this kind of luck, however, are so low that the mushroom produces millions of spores to compensate. the gills are assembly lines, and they dramatically increase the number of spores the mushroom can produce. Both sides of each gill are covered with microscopic spore-producing machinery. "
On the white trail this week I discovered this new (to me) mushroom that is similar to the coral fungi. It is called Clavarioid fungi.
These produce spores on the sides of the club like branches.
Here is a coral fungi; that produces spores in the same way.
The mushrooms are getting wrinkled and sad looking.
 |
| Amanita sp. |
This Bolete is aging fast without the humidity; it's cap is cracking
Here's a closer look.
This is the last of the wild flowers.
Earlier this week I found an interesting polypore called Inonotous dryadeus. It is commonly called the weeping conk because of the amber fluid present when the mushroom is fresh and young. These fungi inhabit tree trunks or branches consuming the wood. The pores or tubes are on the underside. You can see the gray part of this mushroom is the pore surface.
The same day I found this very seasonal looking mushroom, Amanita flavoconia.
and a pretty purple mushroom, Laccaria ochropurpurea
Copper found this.
We were over on the white trail.
And I found this. Deer skull.
This recent find is one the largest Amanita's I have ever seen. It's called Amanita Atkinsoniana.
And on the smaller side; these Psyatharella
This toothed mushroom was also on the white trail. Its called Hericium erinaceus
Tooth fungi produce spores on the tooth-like or spine-like projections.
There are many ways mushrooms produce spores. However, the main categories are the Boletes, Polypores and the Gilled mushrooms.
Boletes are characterized by a spongy surface of pores. From the Mushroomexpert.com site this is a way of thinking about Boletes. "Imagine taking the cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels, and affixing a lot of seeds to the inside of the tube. Then repeat the procedure with many other tubes, and glue them together. Suspend all the tubes from a board, so they hang downward--then wait for the seeds to fall out. The tubes are so tightly packed that you only see the pore surface the opening of the tubes that looks like the surface of a sponge."
Here's a close up of a Bolete pore surface, a slippery jack, Suillus luteus. You can see the tubes.
A less close up pic of the same mushroom.
and a right side up view.
Gilled mushrooms produce spores along the platelike or blade like structures attached to the underside of the cap.
Here's a look at a mushroom with gills. This is an Amanita from the Lepidella Section.
From the Mushroomexpert.com; "The gilled mushrooms are spore factories, created for the sole purpose of manufacturing microscopic spores to be carried away by air currents and with any luck, to land in a suitable location to germinate and start a new organism. The odds of any individual spore having this kind of luck, however, are so low that the mushroom produces millions of spores to compensate. the gills are assembly lines, and they dramatically increase the number of spores the mushroom can produce. Both sides of each gill are covered with microscopic spore-producing machinery. "
On the white trail this week I discovered this new (to me) mushroom that is similar to the coral fungi. It is called Clavarioid fungi.
These produce spores on the sides of the club like branches.
Here is a coral fungi; that produces spores in the same way.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Beautiful Early Fall Weekend
I went to the North side of the Park this weekend. It was a beautiful morning. I started on the Lake Trail.
What a gorgeous view. For my first mushroom sighting of the day, an Amanita from the Lepidella Section
This is a pretty white mushroom that really stands out in the woods. It is found primarily in the Southeast and leaves white deposits on the ground as you can see here. This is a poisonous mushroom.
My next find is another familiar mushroom to me. I see it regularly on or near a dead oak tree on the Horseshoe trail near my house. It is called Xerula Furfuracea. It is in the genus Marismius. This mushroom is the largest, brownest species of Xerula on the continent. Members of the genus Xerula can be recognized by their tall and slender stature and their tough rooting stems. They are saprobes that subsist on the wood of dead or dying tree roots of hardwoods. Because it often grows right next to a giant decaying tree, it is hard to photograph since the shade of the tree blocks the light. This is an edible mushroom.
I got a better shot of one by taking it out into the light. You can see the striations on the stem.
Next, I have been spotting a lot of these gem studded puffballs, called Lycoperdon Periatum. It is a common puff ball, with short spiny bumps or "jewels." When mature, like these are, they turn brown and a hole in the top opens to release spores in a burst when the body is compressed by touch or raindrops. This is an edible mushroom when the flesh is firm and white.
Here's a younger one that does not appear to have burst.
Next I found a pretty Bolete. May be Bolete Badius.
After crossing the big bridge to the yellow trail, I found a bale of hay sitting there with these mushrooms growing out of it.
I think these are Coprinopsis Lagopus. They only last a few hours before death. The stem is whitish in color and hollow, hairy over the whole suface. Once the gills turn black, as the spores mature, the gill edges dissolve into a black liquid. This is why they are called inky caps. You can see the gill edges turning up and turning black in the photo below.
and another,
I saw a huge dead log in the distance that I thought might have some interesting turkey tail polypore. That wasn't the case but I found a beautiful Macrolepiota Procera.
I have only seen this one other time. They are quite large and elegant with a fuzzy texture. It is commonly known as the Parasol Mushroom. It is a very sought after and popular fungus in Europe due to its large size and versatility in the kitchen. On Sunday, I found another, even prettier one, right after crossing over Nickson Creek.
I also found a snail on the log.
As I made my way along the yellow trail beside the creek I saw these Amanita Muscaria Var Guessowii.
Later in the day I went to the Oz Trail, through these pines.
and I found more of these mushrooms, the most large mushrooms I have ever seen in one place. They were placed in fairy rings throughout the pines. (From Wikipedia -A fairy ring, also known as fairy circle, elf circle, elf ring[1] or pixie ring, is a naturally occurring ring or arc of mushrooms. The rings may grow to over 10 metres (33 ft) in diameter, and they become stable over time as the fungus grows and seeks food underground. They are found mainly in forested areas, but also appear in grasslands or rangelands. Fairy rings are detectable by sporocarps in rings or arcs, as well as by a necrotic zone (dead grass), or a ring of dark green grass. A fungus, mycelium, is likely to be present in the ring or arc underneath.)
Some of the Muscaria I found
From Wikipedia -Although it is generally considered poisonous, there are few documented human deaths from its consumption, and after having been parboiled it is eaten as a food in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. Amanita muscaria is noted for its hallucinogenic properties, with its main psychoactive constituent being the compound muscimol. The mushroom was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the peoples of Siberia, and has a religious significance in these cultures.
I ventured further down the yellow trail. I wanted to get a shot of the front of the mill directly across the creek. So I went as far as I physically could. Evidently others have done the same, their was a ladder under a tarp placed strategically right across from the mill probably to get the best possible view. By this time it was midday. Not a great time for photos, but here's what I got.
As a reward for all my hard work I came across three huge clumps of the Jack O Lantern Mushroom, Omphalotus Illudens. Some times called the False Chanterelle, since it resembles it. It is brighter orange, however, and unlike the Chanterelles it is poisonous.
On Sunday- another beautiful day.
Here's a view from the Tributary side of the Park.
Found the prettiest Pink Russula or Lactarius. Most of these mushrooms are brightly colored. The Lactarius exude a milky substance. I didn't check this one. It may be a Lactarius since it wasn't brittle like must Russula's are.
I finally got a picture of this yellow butterfly. For some reason they were very busy today and very still and allowed me to get close enough to get a photo. They have evaded me all summer. They are extremely bright and hard to miss.
It is called Southern Dogface or Colias Cesonia.
Just a few feet away was this Garden Spider or Argiope Aurantia.
This is a first for me. Although I have seen and felt (ick) plenty of spider webs; I have never seen a large bold spider like this up close.
Lastly, the most exciting find for the past two days was this beautiful toothed mushroom. I spotted it from a couple hundred yards away in the woods near the Horseshoe trail. Not hard to miss, because these are huge white clumps on dead logs lying on the ground.
It is a Russula in the genus Hericium. Hericium Americanum. It is used in cooking and medicine. It has a cytotoxic effect on cancer cells. It really resembles coral.
What a gorgeous view. For my first mushroom sighting of the day, an Amanita from the Lepidella Section
This is a pretty white mushroom that really stands out in the woods. It is found primarily in the Southeast and leaves white deposits on the ground as you can see here. This is a poisonous mushroom.
My next find is another familiar mushroom to me. I see it regularly on or near a dead oak tree on the Horseshoe trail near my house. It is called Xerula Furfuracea. It is in the genus Marismius. This mushroom is the largest, brownest species of Xerula on the continent. Members of the genus Xerula can be recognized by their tall and slender stature and their tough rooting stems. They are saprobes that subsist on the wood of dead or dying tree roots of hardwoods. Because it often grows right next to a giant decaying tree, it is hard to photograph since the shade of the tree blocks the light. This is an edible mushroom.
I got a better shot of one by taking it out into the light. You can see the striations on the stem.
Next, I have been spotting a lot of these gem studded puffballs, called Lycoperdon Periatum. It is a common puff ball, with short spiny bumps or "jewels." When mature, like these are, they turn brown and a hole in the top opens to release spores in a burst when the body is compressed by touch or raindrops. This is an edible mushroom when the flesh is firm and white.
Here's a younger one that does not appear to have burst.
Next I found a pretty Bolete. May be Bolete Badius.
After crossing the big bridge to the yellow trail, I found a bale of hay sitting there with these mushrooms growing out of it.
and another,
I saw a huge dead log in the distance that I thought might have some interesting turkey tail polypore. That wasn't the case but I found a beautiful Macrolepiota Procera.
I have only seen this one other time. They are quite large and elegant with a fuzzy texture. It is commonly known as the Parasol Mushroom. It is a very sought after and popular fungus in Europe due to its large size and versatility in the kitchen. On Sunday, I found another, even prettier one, right after crossing over Nickson Creek.
I also found a snail on the log.
As I made my way along the yellow trail beside the creek I saw these Amanita Muscaria Var Guessowii.
Later in the day I went to the Oz Trail, through these pines.
and I found more of these mushrooms, the most large mushrooms I have ever seen in one place. They were placed in fairy rings throughout the pines. (From Wikipedia -A fairy ring, also known as fairy circle, elf circle, elf ring[1] or pixie ring, is a naturally occurring ring or arc of mushrooms. The rings may grow to over 10 metres (33 ft) in diameter, and they become stable over time as the fungus grows and seeks food underground. They are found mainly in forested areas, but also appear in grasslands or rangelands. Fairy rings are detectable by sporocarps in rings or arcs, as well as by a necrotic zone (dead grass), or a ring of dark green grass. A fungus, mycelium, is likely to be present in the ring or arc underneath.)
Some of the Muscaria I found
From Wikipedia -Although it is generally considered poisonous, there are few documented human deaths from its consumption, and after having been parboiled it is eaten as a food in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. Amanita muscaria is noted for its hallucinogenic properties, with its main psychoactive constituent being the compound muscimol. The mushroom was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the peoples of Siberia, and has a religious significance in these cultures.
I ventured further down the yellow trail. I wanted to get a shot of the front of the mill directly across the creek. So I went as far as I physically could. Evidently others have done the same, their was a ladder under a tarp placed strategically right across from the mill probably to get the best possible view. By this time it was midday. Not a great time for photos, but here's what I got.
As a reward for all my hard work I came across three huge clumps of the Jack O Lantern Mushroom, Omphalotus Illudens. Some times called the False Chanterelle, since it resembles it. It is brighter orange, however, and unlike the Chanterelles it is poisonous.
Along that path I also found more amanita's these were pale yellow. My best guess is that they are Amanita Albocreata. It is poisonous.
Here's a view from the Tributary side of the Park.
Found the prettiest Pink Russula or Lactarius. Most of these mushrooms are brightly colored. The Lactarius exude a milky substance. I didn't check this one. It may be a Lactarius since it wasn't brittle like must Russula's are.
I finally got a picture of this yellow butterfly. For some reason they were very busy today and very still and allowed me to get close enough to get a photo. They have evaded me all summer. They are extremely bright and hard to miss.
It is called Southern Dogface or Colias Cesonia.
Just a few feet away was this Garden Spider or Argiope Aurantia.
This is a first for me. Although I have seen and felt (ick) plenty of spider webs; I have never seen a large bold spider like this up close.
Lastly, the most exciting find for the past two days was this beautiful toothed mushroom. I spotted it from a couple hundred yards away in the woods near the Horseshoe trail. Not hard to miss, because these are huge white clumps on dead logs lying on the ground.
It is a Russula in the genus Hericium. Hericium Americanum. It is used in cooking and medicine. It has a cytotoxic effect on cancer cells. It really resembles coral.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)