Fungus Fact Friday

Fungus Fact Friday

#145: Byssomerulius incarnatus, the Coral-Pink Merulius 1

Fungus Fact

#145: Byssomerulius incarnatus, the Coral-Pink Merulius

This bright, attractive fungus is a great example of how confusing mushrooms can be. Byssomerulius incarnatus is distinguished by its bright pink cap and rough undersurface.  Although its spore-producing surface is not smooth, it is still considered a crust fungus.  To add to the confusion, it is still being shuffled around through a few different genera and it has some kind of relationship with Stereum ostrea (FFF#144) that has yet to be researched.

#144: Stereum ostrea, the False Turkey Tail 8

Fungus Fact

#144: Stereum ostrea, the False Turkey Tail

This mushroom is a common sight on hardwood logs at any time of the year. Its fan shape and circular zones of orange and brown colors make Stereum ostrea look very similar to the true Turkey Tail, Trametes versicolor.  ostrea, the “False Turkey Tail,” has a smooth undersurface, which easily distinguishes it from T. versicolor.

#143: Boletinellus merulioides, the Ash Tree Bolete [Archived] 0

Archived

#143: Boletinellus merulioides, the Ash Tree Bolete [Archived]

Note: This is an archived post. You can find the current version of this post here. Boletinellus merulioides is an odd mushroom, both in appearance and ecology. The Ash Tree Bolete can be readily identified by its pore surface – which is only a few millimeters thick and looks more like a network of ridges – and by the fact that it fruits only under ash trees.  merulioides appears under ash because it has a unique symbiotic relationship with a pest of ash trees: the Leafcurl Ash Aphid.

#142: Pluteus cervinus, the Deer Mushroom [Archived] 1

Archived

#142: Pluteus cervinus, the Deer Mushroom [Archived]

Note: This is an archived post. You can read the current version here. Pluteus cervinus is one of the first gilled mushrooms to appear in the spring, although you can also find it during summer and fall. Commonly called the “Deer Mushroom,” it is distinguished by its free gills, pinkish spore print, radish-like odor, and unique, pointed cystidia (if you have a microscope).  In Europe, the mushroom is called the “Deer Shield” (I think mushrooms in the genus Pluteus are called “shields” in Europe, though I’m not sure why) or the “Fawn Pluteus.”  I was introduced to this mushroom as the “Fawn Mushroom,” which is not as common as “Deer Mushroom” in the United States.

#141: Pilobolus spp., the Hat Throwers 0

Fungus Fact

#141: Pilobolus spp., the Hat Throwers

Fungi in the genus Pilobolus grow on the dung (they are “coprophilous”) of herbivores and are well-known for their unique spore dispersal mechanism. Using highly specialized spore-bearing hyphae, the fungus can launch globs of spores up to 3m (10ft) away!  Its genus name literally means “Hat Thrower,” which is also used as a common name.  Another common name is “Shotgun Fungus,” but that can also be applied to Sphaerobolus spp. (FFF#122), so I recommend against using that name.

#140: Morchella angusticeps, the Black Morel of Eastern North America [Archived] 2

Archived

#140: Morchella angusticeps, the Black Morel of Eastern North America [Archived]

Note: This is an archived post.  You can read the current version of this post here. Black morels can be distinguished from yellow morels by their dark ridges and light pits. Other morels have light ridges with darker (or only slightly darker) pits.  Morchella angusticeps is the most widespread black morel in North America.  It can be found almost anywhere east of the Rocky Mountains, although it is not as common as yellow morels.

#139: Disciotis venosa, the Bleach Cup 1

Fungus Fact

#139: Disciotis venosa, the Bleach Cup

This medium-sized to large cup fungus is distinguished by the prominent vein-like wrinkles on its upper surface.  Although it resembles any number of other brown cup fungi, it belongs to the family Morchellaceae and is actually a close relative of true morels!  This similarity is borne out through microscopic examination, which may be required for accurate identification.  Disciotis venosa is commonly known as the “Bleach Cup,” since it gives off a bleach-like odor when broken, and as the “Veined Cup Fungus,” thanks to its veined upper surface.

#138: Gyromitra esculenta, a False Morel 0

Fungus Fact

#138: Gyromitra esculenta, a False Morel

This is one of the most common false morels. Anyone hunting morels should be familiar with false morels, since they appear at the same time and are potentially deadly.  Gyromitra esculenta can be distinguished from other false morels by its brain-like texture, reddish-brown color, and relatively thin stem.  Most people just call esculenta a “false morel,” but it has some other common names, including: “Brain Mushroom,” “Beefsteak Morel,” “Lorchel,” and “Turban Fungus” (the last name is used in Europe).

#137: Sarcoscypha dudleyi, S. austriaca, and S. coccinea, the Scarlet Cups 2

Fungus Fact

#137: Sarcoscypha dudleyi, S. austriaca, and S. coccinea, the Scarlet Cups

These medium-sized cup fungi are bright red, making them easy to spot against the brown colors of the forest floor. Sarcoscypha dudleyi, austriaca, and S. coccinea are all found in the spring during morel season, so make sure to check for morels when you find a Scarlet Cup!  These three species are indistinguishable from one another to the naked eye.  In order to definitively identify your mushroom, you will have to use a microscope.

#136: Inonotus obliquus, Chaga Mushroom 1

Fungus Fact

#136: Inonotus obliquus, Chaga Mushroom

Chaga (produced by the fungus Inonotus obliquus) is considered by many to be the most potent medicinal mushroom. Its popularity is on the rise and a quick internet search returns mostly websites offering to sell Chaga or sites touting its medicinal benefits.  Chaga purportedly has cancer-fighting properties, stimulates the immune system, reduces inflammation, and prevents aging.  The part of the fungus that people use is not quite a mushroom.  Instead, it is a sterile conk that looks like a large block of charcoal stuck to a birch tree.  This structure can be chopped off the tree, ground up, and steeped in hot water to make a tea.  Chaga tea is the usual way to take advantage of the fungus’s medicinal properties.