(Author's note: I'm not a mushroom ID expert. Possible identities appear in the captions. If there is no caption, I don't know what it is. While some mushrooms are labeled as edible, please consult a field guide, another forager or attend a class on mushrooms. ID corrections may be emailed to [email protected].)
After some rainfall in late August and early September, mushrooms and other fungi seemed to have appeared in abundance. Their colors and shapes were varied. They made spectacular photo subjects.
After some rainfall in late August and early September, mushrooms and other fungi seemed to have appeared in abundance. Their colors and shapes were varied. They made spectacular photo subjects.
Jack o'lanterns
However, trying to obtain identities on these funky fungi was tricky if not downright difficult. Additionally, several kinds of mushrooms have look-a-likes.
A couple of helpful Facebook groups, Pennsylvania Mushroom Identification and Pennsylvania Wild Mushroom Gathering aided in some of my attempts to find identities.
A couple of helpful Facebook groups, Pennsylvania Mushroom Identification and Pennsylvania Wild Mushroom Gathering aided in some of my attempts to find identities.
Jack o'lantern mushrooms
Some of the most common subjects of inquiries on these pages were the differences between Jack o’lanterns, chicken of the woods and chanterelles.
Making a mistake could be toxic for those who forage and consume mushrooms.
I have encountered many Jack o’lanterns on the trails. However, in their stages of growth they can take on various shapes and their color will vary slightly. This can be dangerous for those who are into consuming mushrooms.
“Jack o’lanterns are poisonous mushrooms often mistaken for edibles. Eating them won’t kill you but will give you a bad stomach ache plus several days of vomiting and diarrhea,” said a post on the orange mushrooms on Jack O’Lantern Mushroom: Key Facts — Forest Wildlife .
The post went on to say, “Jack o’lanterns are found growing in woodland regions in the summer and fall. They are easy to mistake for other mushroom varieties.”
“They usually grow in dense clusters from dead and decaying wood. According to the University of Virginia, the source wood may be buried underground or under leaf litter, making it look like the mushrooms are growing directly from the ground like chanterelles,” the post continued.
Making a mistake could be toxic for those who forage and consume mushrooms.
I have encountered many Jack o’lanterns on the trails. However, in their stages of growth they can take on various shapes and their color will vary slightly. This can be dangerous for those who are into consuming mushrooms.
“Jack o’lanterns are poisonous mushrooms often mistaken for edibles. Eating them won’t kill you but will give you a bad stomach ache plus several days of vomiting and diarrhea,” said a post on the orange mushrooms on Jack O’Lantern Mushroom: Key Facts — Forest Wildlife .
The post went on to say, “Jack o’lanterns are found growing in woodland regions in the summer and fall. They are easy to mistake for other mushroom varieties.”
“They usually grow in dense clusters from dead and decaying wood. According to the University of Virginia, the source wood may be buried underground or under leaf litter, making it look like the mushrooms are growing directly from the ground like chanterelles,” the post continued.
Chanterelles
Chanterelle Meanwhile, the other two mentioned mushrooms, chicken of the woods and chanterelles are edible.
This was my first year to find a patch of chanterelles in my stomping grounds.
In some foraging circles, chanterelles are highly sought after.
“The chanterelle is an edible species of wild mushroom under the Latin name Cantharellus.
They are most often golden yellow, but there are also white and bright red species. Golden chanterelles are the most common, though, and are the gems foragers seek in the woods,” said a post on mushroom-appreciation.com.
The post went on to mention when a good time was to start to look for the mushrooms.
“When chanterelles do start popping up, though, they often do so in great numbers, so be on the lookout. The best time to go out looking is mid-summer, three to four days after a significant rainfall,” the post said.
I found this statement to be true of my chanterelle discovery. The post also added that the mushrooms grow around trees.
It said to look for “chanterelles around oaks, conifers, and in mixed forests. That’s a broad spectrum, but each species has its preference. These mushrooms are mycorrhizal, meaning they grow in conjunction with certain trees."
This was my first year to find a patch of chanterelles in my stomping grounds.
In some foraging circles, chanterelles are highly sought after.
“The chanterelle is an edible species of wild mushroom under the Latin name Cantharellus.
They are most often golden yellow, but there are also white and bright red species. Golden chanterelles are the most common, though, and are the gems foragers seek in the woods,” said a post on mushroom-appreciation.com.
The post went on to mention when a good time was to start to look for the mushrooms.
“When chanterelles do start popping up, though, they often do so in great numbers, so be on the lookout. The best time to go out looking is mid-summer, three to four days after a significant rainfall,” the post said.
I found this statement to be true of my chanterelle discovery. The post also added that the mushrooms grow around trees.
It said to look for “chanterelles around oaks, conifers, and in mixed forests. That’s a broad spectrum, but each species has its preference. These mushrooms are mycorrhizal, meaning they grow in conjunction with certain trees."
Chanterelle
Chicken of the woods or Laetiporus sulphureus is another popular mushroom that often was posted about on several Facebook pages. I have been lucky enough to have observed growths of these mushrooms for the past few years.
Chicken of the woods
Chicken of the woods This year was the first for me to see them regrow in the same location as the previous year.
“Laetiporus sulphureus is a species of bracket fungus (fungi that grow on trees) found in Europe and North America. Laetiporus sulphureus forms bright yellow shelf-like structures on trees, which turn beige or grey as they age. Its underside is made of tubes instead of gills,” said a post on The Ultimate Mushroom Guide site.
“This fungus can be a saprophyte or a weak parasite, causing brown cubical rot in the heartwood of its host trees. While it is edible when young, some people may experience adverse reactions,” the site added.
Meanwhile, the posting of a photo of supposed crown tip coral on the Pennsylvania Mushroom Identification and Aspects Facebook page touched on the topic of the differences between crown tip coral fungus, Artomyces pyxidatus, and members of the ramaria species.
“Laetiporus sulphureus is a species of bracket fungus (fungi that grow on trees) found in Europe and North America. Laetiporus sulphureus forms bright yellow shelf-like structures on trees, which turn beige or grey as they age. Its underside is made of tubes instead of gills,” said a post on The Ultimate Mushroom Guide site.
“This fungus can be a saprophyte or a weak parasite, causing brown cubical rot in the heartwood of its host trees. While it is edible when young, some people may experience adverse reactions,” the site added.
Meanwhile, the posting of a photo of supposed crown tip coral on the Pennsylvania Mushroom Identification and Aspects Facebook page touched on the topic of the differences between crown tip coral fungus, Artomyces pyxidatus, and members of the ramaria species.
 Crown tip coral  Ramaria | The posts had me second-guessing some of the coral fungus that I thought I had just photographed. According to Wikipedia, the genus Ramaria is comprised of approximately 200 species of coral fungi. A post on MushroomExpert.com by Michael Kuo described crown tip coral as a gorgeous and distinctive coral mushroom that appears across North America but is apparently absent (or very rare) on the West Coast. “A combination of features makes Artomyces pyxidatus fairly unmistakable: it grows on wood (usually the wood of hardwoods); its colors, when fresh, are whitish to yellowish; and its branch tips are distinctively "crowned," featuring a tiny cuplike depression surrounded by three to six points,” Kuo posted. A commenter on one of the mushroom Facebook pages echoed the fact that the crown tip coral grows on wood. “Crown tip coral, Artomyces, only grow from wood. Ramaria and others grow on ground,” the poster commented. “Some people do eat ramaria , but some will give you the shits … I also haven't seen any crown tipped out for at least a month. They usually start late spring..” the post continued." |
Another commenter said the fungus in the photo posted on the page looked like “ramaria, which you don't want to eat unless you can positively identify the specific ramaria species it is, which can be difficult.
They call ramaria the Russian roulette of diarrhea.”
They call ramaria the Russian roulette of diarrhea.”
Ramaria
 Common earthball  Common earthball  Common earthballs  Elm oyster  Elm oyster  Elm oyster | Meanwhile, I had been seeing these potato-like mushrooms on our daily treks. I mistakenly thought they were some kind of puffball mushroom. However, a google search and a post on ForagingGuru.com set me straight. These fungi are known as common earthballs. “Generally referred to by its common names, pigskin poison puffball or common earthball, it can be found worldwide. It is a mycorrhizal fungus generally covered in warts without a stipe (stem), hence the name ball,” the post said. It went on to say that the common earthball is poisonous and not edible. The mushroom is “commonly found near hardwoods and conifers where it’s mycorrhizal. It usually grows alone or in groups depending upon conditions and nutrient sources,” the post continued. Nonetheless, the mushroom identification confusion continued when I tried to figure out what fungus was growing on a maple tree. Folks at the Pennsylvania Mushroom Identification and Aspects Facebook pages tentatively identified them as elm oysters. There was a catch. The elm oyster is not a real type of oyster mushroom. “The Elm oyster mushroom is actually not an oyster mushroom and has a misleading name. It is not actually a pleurotus species. The reason it is not considered a true oyster mushroom is because of the gills,” said a post on curativemushroom.com. “The Elm oyster may also be found on box elder or beech. It always grows from the tree; it never grows from the ground," said a post on www.mushroom-appreciation.com “Very often, the Elm oyster grows high up in a tree on scars or wounds in the tree. This mushroom is a parasite and saprotroph, so it will infect and feed on injured and dying trees. It can be challenging to forage only because it’s often impossible to reach,” the post continued. However, when I searched photos of the elm oyster, some looked similar, but I couldn’t find a direct match. Nonetheless, I thought that a picture of yet another mushroom that I had photographed earlier in the summer looked like the “real” oyster mushrooms. “Pleurotus ostreatus, is a common edible known for its oyster-shaped cap. One of the first things you should look for when trying to identify this mushroom is the presence of decurrent gills,” said a post on mushroom-appreciation.com. |
Oyster mushroom
In the meantime, more fancy fungi kept popping up faster than I can identify them. That’s just the nature of things ‘round here.
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