Mushroom of the Month – October 2017

Aleuria aurantia – Orange Peel Mushroom

Although bright orange, its easy to miss these cup mushrooms especially once the leaves have fallen.  Just 3/4 -4″ in size, according to the National Audubon Field Guide to North American Mushrooms, Aleuria aurantia are found throughout North America in groups or clusters on both hard and disturbed soil including roadsides, gardens, lawns and landslides.

Although Aleuria aurantia can be seen from May through October these were found just a week or two ago.  The flesh is brittle and is paler in color on the outside then inside the cup.

Contributed by Moira OKeefe

 

 

Mushroom of the Month- September 2017

Entoloma abortivum -Aborted Entoloma

The name Entoloma comes from the Greek word ento , meaning inner and lóma meaning hem or fringe and refers to the inrolled margin of the cap pictured below.

There are many mushrooms that look very similar (grayish caps and pinkish gills that run down the stem), but you can be pretty sure you have the Entoloma abortivum if it’s aborted version, commonly called the shrimp mushroom, appears near by (seen in the upper right hand corner of the photo above and near the center of the photo below) .

It is now believed that these white fleshy masses, that to me look like heads of Garlic(see below), are caused by Entoloma abortivum “permeating” Armillaria ( Honey Mushrooms).  Visit the following link at MushroomExpert.com for more information: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/entoloma_abortivum.html regarding this discovery .

Contributed by Moira OKeefe

 

Mushroom of the Month- August 2017

Phaeolus schweinitzii – Dye Polypore or Velvet-Top Fungus

Its been about 4 or 5 years straight that I’ve seen this mushroom pop up in early August under the same conifer.  Named in honor of Lewis David von Schweinitzii, credited as one of the first American Mycologists of any real significance, the parasitic polypore attacks tree roots and is considered a pathogen.  Its colors are really quite striking, hence its practical application and common name ; the dye polypore. According to Tom Volk , see http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/nov2007.html ,  there is a long tradition of using mushroom dyes in North America and Phaeolus schweinitzii is one of them.

Contributed by Moira OKeefe

 

Mushroom of the Month-July 2017

Ductifera pululahuana – White Jelly Mushroom

Ductifera pululahuana, or the white jelly mushroom pictured above first appears in spring, is very abundant throughout July and continues to be seen into fall growing on clearly decaying hardwood. It’s overlapping, gelatinous flesh is white when young and yellows with age.

It is one of many Jelly Fungi, most closely resembling Tremella fuciformas which looks very similar but is more translucent.

Contributed by Moira OKeefe

 

Mushroom of the Month-June 2017

Pluteus cervinus – Deer Mushroom vs. Megacollybia rodmani – Platterful Mushroom

To the untrained eye it would be easy to mistake the Deer mushroom; Pluteus cervinus pictured above for the Platterful mushroom: Megacollybia platyphlla pictured below.

Both are found on hardwoods, both fruit early in the season, both appear to have olive-brown to grey caps  and whitish flesh.

One way to tell them apart is that the gills are much closer together and free on the Deer mushroom,  and as you can see above they are much wider and attached on the Platterful.

Another way to tell them apart would be to do a spore print.   Megacollybia rodmani leaves a white spore print while Pluteus cervinus’ spores are pinkish.

Contributed by Moira OKeefe

 

 

Mushroom of the Month – May 2017

Hexagonal-Pored Polypore – Neofavolus alveolaris

Another indicator of the arrival of morel season is the Hexagonal-Pored Polypore or Neofavolus alveolaris; still known to many as Polyporus alveolaris or simply Favolus alveolaris.

Although quite small, just 2-7 cm. according to MushroomExpert.com , this creamy orange mushroom is fairly hard to miss as it dots mostly fallen branches along the forest floor.

Although its color will fade, Neofavolus alveolaris will be seen throughout the Summer and Fall.   The underside of the semi circular, fan or kidney shaped fruiting body according to MushroomExpert.com contains a series of radially arranged diamond or “honeycombed” shaped subcylindric pores.

Contributed by Moira OKeefe

 

Mushroom of the Month- April 2017

Cyathus striatus – Fluted Bird’s Nest

Crouching down very low to the ground in search of one of the first morels of the season, I was pleasantly surprised instead to see Cyathus striatus or the Fluted Bird’s Nest fungi.

 

 

Although I had admired many photos of this fungi, I had no idea how very tiny they could be with each nest pictured here being not much bigger than an eraser on the end of a pencil. The mushroom primarily grows on wood as seen above, or on wood chips as seen in the photo taken and featured here by Crystal McAllister the founder and creator of this blog:   https://fungalindupagecounty.wordpress.com/?s=Bird%27s+Nest  As seen in Crystal’s photo the mushroom often grows in clusters.  There are other varieties of Bird’s Nest Fungus including the more common Smooth Bird’s Nest or Crucibulum laeve .

Contributed by Moira OKeefe

 

Mushroom of the Month – March 2017

Urnula craterium – Devils Urn

Along with many woodland wild flowers such as Dicentra cucullaria or Dutchman’s breeches, Urnula criterium or devil’s Urn is considered an indicator species marking the coming of Morels.   Devil’s Urn are hard to find but fairly abundant in the depths of many hardwood forests.

A little known fact I discovered quite by accident…when the timing is right and one blows gently across the surface of a Devil’s Urn spores are emitted and it looks as if a wicked concoction is brewing inside the Urn.    If you look carefully you can see this below.

Some times called the Black Tulip fungus according to Michael Kuo of Mushroom Expert.com these fungi are “widely distributed east of the Rockies” , including Dupage county.  Another saprobic mushroom, Devils urn grow in moist areas attached to buried or scarcely exposed sticks and wood.   I’ve waited all month to hopefully see one without any luck, but here are some photos from past years.   These will be appearing within the next few weeks.

 

Contributed by Moira OKeefe

 

 

Mushroom of the Month- February 2017

Sarcoscypha coccinea- Scarlet Cup

It’s a rarity to find any mushrooms during the winter months especially in the Midwest, but Sarcoscypha coccinea is one I often do see during the colder months, even when there is some snow on the ground.  And what a beautiful sight to see they are.   Also called scarlet elf cup or scarlet cup, these bright red fungi grow on decayed wood or plant material.   Varying from as little as a centimeter to as big as two inches across these vibrant looking mushrooms change from cup-shaped to plate-shaped as they mature.  According to Wikipedia  because of its anti-hemorrhage properties some Indians used the ground up mushroom as a styptic; to stop bleeding .   In England the fruiting body was used as decoration.

Contributed by Moira O’Keefe

 

Mushroom of the Month- January 2017

Stereum complicatum- Orange Crust Fungus 

There is no shortage of Stereum complicatum this time of year.  I found it all over the oak woodland I was hiking in last weekend.  Also commonly called crowded parchment complicatum literally means “folded back upon itself”.

Growing always on wood, Stereum complicatum is saprobic favoring  Oaks.    Color can vary from orange to cinnamon to brown becoming more cream-colored near the outer edges.

                     

Mycologists tell us that Stereum complicatum falls into a group of fungi collectively called Stereum hirsutum that include Stereum hirsutum,  Stereum complicatum and Stereum gausapatum .  From what I have read and seen in the wild it is my understanding that these species appear to exist on a continuum and can actually blend one into another(see below).

Contributed by Moira OKeefe

References:  https://www.messiah.edu/oakes/fungi_on_wood/crust%20and%20parchment/species%20pages/Sterium%20complicatum.htm

Kuo, M. (2008, December). Stereum hirsutum. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/stereum_hirsutum.html