The fall rains have arrived. On a very recent field venture I came across an explosion of the fungal world exposing itself. I know very little about fungi and mushrooms. My mushroom adventures have been limited to a occasional picking of chanterelles and another type that leads to enhanced neuron activity.
The first mushroom I saw was few scattered large white mushrooms pushing up through the moss.
The first pic is a russula brevipes. It's technically edible, but has almost no flavor. However, it is sometimes infected with a second fungi, hypomyces lactifluorum, which will warp the mushroom into an irregular shape and change the color to a bright reddish-orange. The hypomyces smells and tastes somewhat like seafood, and that combined with the color is why these mutated russulas are known as lobster mushrooms.
ReplyDeleteIf you're looking for a good, succinct field guide or two for the PNW, "All the Rain Promises" and "The Savory Wild Mushroom" are an excellent combination.