Mushroom Fever
People used to think mushrooms sprang up spontaneously after thunderstorms or in response to devilry. We know better now, but there’s still some art in cultivating them. That said, you can probably manage to grow some yourself–maybe in your backyard or woodlot. Guest blogger Ariadne Reynolds reports on the forest farming of mushrooms, and provides some leads in case you’re ready to get started.
Mystery liverwort fungus, chapter 3
What could it be, this liverwort thing? Has anyone ever seen this before? FAM pursues the fungus through the musty dusty literature and the well-stocked but torturous passageways of his own brain. Finally, the magical powers of Santa Claus are invoked.
Phallus ravenelii: the common stinkhorn, Ravenel’s stinkhorn
Stink stink stink, we love stinkhorns. A little about their sordid history and biology here. What’s not to like?
Hydnum umbilicatum, the sweet tooth
This Hedgehogology post was written by a student in PLPA 319 Known as both the “hedgehog” and the “sweet tooth” mushroom, Hydnum umbilicatum has some remarkable features that make it an incredible member of the diverse world of fungi. This mushroom gets its common names due to its edibility and the structure of its gills. […]
$#%!&! Red Russulas
Beginning mushroomers often think a field guide is the key to all knowledge. But there are some kinds of mushrooms that even intrepid field guide authors fear. The little brown ones (LBMs, we call them), yes, but also these big handsome red Russulas. Good luck.
Dyeing with Lichens & Mushrooms
This post was written by PLPA 309 student Randi W., who encouraged our class to try dyeing and collected some Pycnoporus, too. Did you know that fungi can be used to make dyes? Perhaps that lovely carpet your grandmother had in her living room was dyed with lichens early in the 20th century? That’s right! […]
Shaggy Mane Time Lapse
Post and video by the talented Dawn Dailey O’Brien, Plant Pathologist and co-editor of Branching Out Shaggy mane mushrooms are also known as Lawyer’s Wigs. They are white with a cylindrical cap 1-1/4 to 2 inches wide and 1-5/8 to 6 inches high. They get their name from the flat, white scales on the cap […]
Blewit eaters
Blewits are tasty purple mushrooms, so it’s always exciting to find them. But imagine how excited I was when I found they had an ornate and seldom-seen parasitic mold growing on them. Do you know me at all? I was ecstatic.
Phylloporus, a gilled bolete
Phylloporus rhodoxanthus is a mushroom with gills, but here we reveal its secret allegiance with the tribe of boletes. Boletes are normally not gilled, but instead have pores or tubes that form a spongy layer beneath their caps. Sneaky Phylloporus.
The destroying angel
The destroying angel is a notorious mushroom, because it’s quite deadly. It’s also very handsome and stately. When you are learning mushrooms, this is a good one to learn early on. Spore print color, the annulus, the volva…all these things can help you tell it apart from friendlier mushrooms, if you know what to look for.
« go back — keep looking »