Fungi Part 2!

On May 24, Joe Ammirati took us to the Union Bay Natural Area to find some more fungi. The weather was nice, the sun was peaking through the clouds, yet it hadn't rained in a while- this is bad for finding fungi. However, we faired well. We found Gliophyllum Sepiraum on a few logs next to the parking lot. It's a golden gilled polypore and it is quite tough. It brackets along fallen logs. We found Psathyrella candoliana in the grasses next to the trail. This mushroom had a line shooting across the cap. It likes woody materials and was about 6 inches across. Next, on a single log, we found more than 4 species. First, we found hypoxylon which is characterized as lumpy black bumps that serve to create spores. Next, we found sterium which can be compared to turkey tail, the next thing we found. The difference is that turkey tail has small pores in the white matter underneath the bracket, the sterium does not. This can also be seen in each's mycelium. We also found resupinate which is a white layer found on a branch. They're all white rot fungi in that they consume all woody materials. Next we found mycenus stipata which is a small black mushroom whose gills smell like bleach when touched. It was very small (about 1-2 inches tall). Finally, we found quite a beauty: Leratiomyces ceres. It has a red-orange cap with purple-brown spore prints. It was also very short (1-2 inches tall), and is more common in the autumn.
We've learned many things with Joe such as:
-Never eat mushrooms raw-they're carcinogenic.
-Never eat mushrooms out of a plastic bag-choose paper.
-Never touch or eat a mushroom that you're unsure about.
-Be careful with mushrooms!

Posted on June 5, 2012 03:26 AM by ajwick24