mushroom – Ruth E. Hendricks Photography

Ruffled Mushrooms on a Rotting Stump

You know I’m fascinated by fungi. No, this is not to eat! but there so many varieties and different ways they grow. They’re found in unexpected places. This crop on a rotting stump.

A Google image search says it might be this type of ruffled mushroom.

Trichaptum abietinum is a species of poroid fungus in the order Hymenochaetales. It is saprophytic, growing from dead conifer wood. The white-gray cap is 1–4 cm wide and usually no more than .5 thick, shelved and fanlike, with brownish and leathery flesh. The spores are white, cylindrical, and smooth. Wikipedia

September 12, 2022 by Ruth Categories: PhotographyTags: fungi, mushroom, nature, photography, Pittsburgh PA, postaday, ruffled mushroom, stump, tree 8 Comments

You Have to be Certain of Edibility. You Can’t Guess

Fungi. There are so many different types. Yes, there are many that are edible. But there are others that are poisonous. The one in the photo did not tempt me. I can’t picture it on a plate. Perhaps you know what it is.

I couldn’t identify this growth even with all the photos-there are so many interesting names of Fungi – from Milky Caps to Hairy Cushion. There are corals,hoofs, shelfs and caps. There are fungi named Hedgehogs or Turkey Tail. Even a false morel.

The authors say in their guide “Although we provide information about edibility in this guide, DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity: many mushroom species look alike and some species are highly poisonous.”

Here’s a comprehensive publication from the USDA with photos. Field Guide to Common Macrofungi in Eastern Forests and Their Ecosystem Functions
Michael E. Ostry Neil A. Anderson Joseph G. O’Brien

Others posts on my blog tagged FUNGUS