Fungus Fact Friday

Tagged: mushroom

mushroom-dyed wool rainbow 5

Fungus Fact

#159: Dyeing with Mushrooms

Natural dyes come from many sources: plants, animals, and even fungi. Historically, lichens were used to achieve certain colors, including purples and reds. Techniques for lichen dying have been around for thousands of years. Surprisingly, using mushrooms to dye fibers was first developed in 1972! The procedure for mushroom dyeing was developed by Miriam C. Rice, who I have previously mentioned as the inventor of mushroom papermaking (FFF#084). The procedure for mushroom dyeing is pretty much the same as when using other natural dyes: treat the fibers with a mordant, cook the fibers with the dye, and rinse the fibers.

#156: Calvatia gigantea, the Giant Puffball 1

Fungus Fact

#156: Calvatia gigantea, the Giant Puffball

This mushroom certainly lives up to its name!  The largest Calvatia gigantea fruiting body on record was 8ft 8in in diameter and weighed 48 pounds!  Normally, the “Giant Puffball” forms mushrooms much smaller than that.  However, the mushrooms routinely reach sizes of a foot across or larger.  Many could easily be mistaken for abandoned soccer balls from far away.

#155: Microglossum viride, the Green Earth Tongue 0

Fungus Fact

#155: Microglossum viride, the Green Earth Tongue

This is probably one of the most difficult fungi to find in North America. It is not a common mushroom, but its occurrence may be underreported thanks to its small size and green colors.  These traits mean that Microglossum viride is particularly adept at blending in with its mossy surroundings.  However, its unmistakably green coloration means it is very easy to identify the “Green Earth Tongue” once you have found it.

#154: Panellus stipticus 1

Fungus Fact

#154: Panellus stipticus

This little brown mushroom isn’t much to look at… at least during the daytime. At night, however, the unassuming mushroom reveals its most interesting feature: it glows in the dark!  Known as the “Bitter Oyster,” “Luminescent Panellus,” or “Bitter Oysterling” (if you live in Europe), Panellus stipticus looks like a small, brown oyster mushroom.  A helpful feature that separates it from most other oyster-like mushrooms is that it has a tough texture.

#153: Geastrum fornicatum 1

Fungus Fact

#153: Geastrum fornicatum

In celebration of last night’s meteor shower, I have chosen to discuss a little star that can be found during the day in some parts of North America: the earthstar Geastrum fornicatum. Earthstars are all very similar: they have a puffball-like center surrounded by several pointed “arms,” grow on the ground, and are brownish in color.  fornicatum can be distinguished from most other North American earthstars because its arms lift the circular center well above the ground.  For this reason, it is called the “Arched Earthstar” (“fornicatum” actually translates to “arched”).  G. fornicatum is most commonly found in Southwestern North America, but can be found elsewhere around the world.

#152: Amanita rubescens, The Blusher 0

Fungus Fact

#152: Amanita rubescens, The Blusher

Note: This is an archived post.  Click here to read the current version of this post. This Amanita is considered edible and many people eat it, although just as many people avoid it because it is easily confused with some deadly poisonous amanitas. Known as the “Blusher,” rubescens is notable because it stains pinkish when injured.

#150: Asterophora lycoperdoides 0

Fungus Fact

#150: Asterophora lycoperdoides

This is one of the strangest mushrooms on Earth. It is a gilled mushroom that parasitizes other mushrooms, which already makes it a rarity.  Even less common, Asterophora lycoperdoides reproduces primarily through asexual “”  This mushroom is commonly known as the “Star-Bearing Powder Cap” or the “Powdery Piggyback.” The former name is more common in the United States, while the latter is primarily used in the United Kingdom.

#149: Haploporus odorus, the Diamond Willow Fungus or Aniseed Polypore 4

Fungus Fact

#149: Haploporus odorus, the Diamond Willow Fungus or Aniseed Polypore

This otherwise boring polypore has an incredibly strong anise-like odor. Native Americans of the Northern Plains considered this mushroom to have healing and spiritual properties.  Haploporus odorus can be found growing on hardwood trees in northern boreal forests.  In North America, it prefers the Diamond Willow tree, which gives it the common name “Diamond Willow Fungus.”  Another English common name is the “Aniseed Polypore,” which refers to its unique aroma.

Fungi in the News Image 0

News Update

Mycology News: April to June 2016

Fungi appear in the news with surprising frequency. However, many of those stories do not provide any new information. Below is a summary of what we’ve learned about fungi from November 2016 Through February 2017. Read below to learn about: mycorrhizas, A. bisporus engineering, fungal evolution, psilocybin research, fungal concerns in medicine, rock-eating fungi, and more! Visit the associated links to get the full story.