Mushroom Walk at River Ridge Farm
Last Saturday's mushroom walk at River Ridge Farm was a great success! The weather was just perfect we had at least 16 participants. There was a lot of interest and excitement and the fungi were out in force. With the time we had; it was not possible to prepare a comprehensive species list. However, just in a quick run through I was able to ID 56 species from the walk. Not bad for a morning stroll through the forest!
Photo Credit: Joan Sunday
We started out the day, while everyone was arriving, by reviewing a selection of several species that I had previously collected and brought for demonstration. This gave everyone a chance to meet one another and familiarize themselves with a bit of the language of mycology. This turned out to be very helpful once we started collecting during our walk. There was at least some familiarity with how to look at fungi and some of the terminology.
Here are a few highlights and notable finds: We did come across 3 different species of Amanitas, which made it possible to familiarize everyone with the characteristics the make up this genus.This is very important since some species of amanitas can be deadly poisonous!
We ran across a dozen species of Boletes; including the beautiful "Two Colored Bolete" B. bicolor and the blue staining Gyroporus cyanescens which stains dark blue immediately when it is handled.
There were 3 species of the highly sought after chanterelles; ie, the "Cinnabar Chanterelle"Cantherellus cinnabarinus, the "Horn of Plenty"Craterellus cornucopoides, and the "Golden Chanterelle"C. cibarius.
Other notable finds among the gilled mushrooms were many species of Russulas of many colors and Lactarius species that exude a type of "milk"when injured. There were several species of the colorful Entolomas, including the "Yellow Unicorn"E. murrayii and the "Salmon Witch's Hat"E salmoneum. We looked at many types of Polypores or "shelf fungi" such as the medicinal "Turkey Tails"Trametes versicolor and the "Cinnamon Polypore"Coltricia cinnamomea. An exciting find; growing from the base of a dead tree was Meripilus gigantea, which can grow to the size of several pounds. Higher up on the same tree were 2 specimens of the "Bearded Tooth"Hericium erinaeus, another highly regarded edible. Unfortunately,all we could do was look at them since they were way out of reach.
We were able to compare the edible and common "Gem-studded Puffball"Lycoperdon perlatum with the "Poison Pigskin" Puffball Schleroderma citrinum. Also, there were several different colorful species of the coral mushrooms including the "Golden Tuning Fork"Clavulinopsis fusiformis. One of the most exciting finds for me was a species of "Cup Fungus"called "Moose Antlers"or Wynnea americana. This is a very unusual looking fungus and fairly rare in our area.
We ended the day by going over to the picnic area and displaying our finds and having a discussion of each type; including toxicity/edibility, etc followed by a great picnic lunch and more mushroom talk. I believe a good time was had by all and a lot was learned and shared. There were several requests for a repeat sometime in the future.
- Ken Crouse
Mushroom Species List
River Ridge Farm
9/20/2014
Gilled mushrooms:
Amanita vaginata – Grisette
A. flavaconia – Yellow Patches
A. ceceliae
Russula virescens – Green Russula
R. variata – Variable Russula
R. compacta – Firm Russula
R. rosacea – Rosy Russula
R. aeruginea – Green Quilt Russula
R. brevipes – Shortstalked White Russula
Lactarius croceus
L. peckii – Peck's Milky
L. rufus – Redhot Milky
L. torminosus – Pinkfringed Milky
L. subpurpurea – Variegated Milky
Tricholoma sp.
Gymnopus dryophila – Oak Loving Collybia
Clitocybe clavipes – Clubshaped Clitocybe
Clitocybe gibba – Funnel Clitocybe
Hygrophoropsis aurantiacaFalse Chanterelle
Hygrocybe coccinea Red Waxycap
Cantharellus cinnibarenis—Cinnabar Chanterelle
Cantharellus tubaeformis –Trumpet Chanterelle
Cantharellus cibarius Golden Chanterelle
Craterellus cornucopioides – Horn of Plenty
Nolanea murrayii – Yellow Unicorn
Nolanea salmoneum Salmon Unicorn
Marasmius siccus – Orange Pinwheel
Marasmius rotula – Pinwheel Marasmius
Marasmius nigripes Black Foot
Poroid Fungi:
Boletus bicolor – Twocolored Bolete
B. subvelutipes – Redmouthed Bolete
B. chrysenteron – Cracked Cap Bolete
B. ornatipes – Ornatestalked Bolete
B. griseus
B. subglapripes
Gyroporous cyanescens Bluing Bolete
Leccinus scabrum – Scaber Stalk
Suillus granulatus – Granularstalked Suillus
Strobilomyces floccopus – Old Man of the Woods
Tylopilus felleus – Bitter Bolete
T. plumboviolaceus Lilacbrown Bolete
Polypores/Shelf Fungi
Meripilus gigantea – Blackstaining Polypore
Hericium erineus – Bearded Tooth
Trametes versicolor Turkeytails
Stereum ostrya – False Turkeytails
Polyporus badius – Blackfooted Polypore
Coltricia cinnamomea—Shiny Cinnamon Polypore
Puffballs'Earthballs:
Lycoperdon perlatum – Gemstudded Puffball
Schleroderma citrinum – Poison Pigskin Puffball
Coral/Club Fungi:
Clavaridelphus truncaFlattopped Coral
Cordyceps militaris Trooping Cordyceps
Clavulinopsis fusiformis Spindleshaped Yellow Coral
Tremellodendron pallidum White Jellycoral
Ramariopsis kunzeii – White Coral
Cup Fungi:
Wynnea americana Moose Antlers
Peziza badioconfusa –Common Brown Cup
Peziza repanda – Recurved Cup
Parasitic Molds:
Hypmyces hyalinus – Amanita Mold
Hypomyces chrysospermus White Bolete Mold