Our blessed rain and rising heat push the local mycelium networks to fruit. According to Jenny at the Mushroom Appreciation blog, for those of us in the Southeast during summertime: "The best time to get out in the woods is 2-5 days after a good rain
storm. This is when most mushrooms will fruit. If you wait too long,
you’ll have to contend with slugs and bugs who are looking for a nice
snack." The arboretum's squirrel population might also be sampling the mushroom offerings. The photos below were snapped Saturday morning, and by Sunday afternoon, the mushrooms were gone or partially chewed!
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| Here we see a tattered member of Cantharellus, the culinary Chantrelle genus. Examining the Chanterelles of the US page at the above-mentioned blog, we feel confident that this yellow mushroom is edible, but since there are several candidates which match the color, shape and region, we can't make a firm ID. |
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| This small, peachy colored mushroom growing in the grass is classified somewhere in the Boletus genus. Narrowing it down to a species is a daunting task. Beware the boletus rabbit hole! There's a 640-page book titled Boletes of Eastern North America released less than three years ago. Just move on. Which was an easy thing to do because no additional photos or examination were possible―it disappeared within 24 hours. By the way, Boletus is the Latin word for "mushroom." |
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There were several of these red mushrooms in a small patch under the pine trees near the Student Union Building. They are classified either in the Russula genus, commonly called "brittlegills" or the Lactarius genus (a "milkcap"). Probably the former. It's potentially Russula emetica, the "sickener". For loads of photos to compare, try making an account at Mushroom Observer. |
