DNA studies show that there are thousands of different fungi in a single sample of soil, many of which are unknown and hidden – so-called “dark taxa.” Retiboletus Ornatipes, commonly known as the ornate-stalked bolete or goldstalk, is a species of bolete fungus in the family Boletaceae. Originally named Boletus Ornatipes, it was transferred to Retiboletus in 2002. The question “is Retiboletus Ornatipes edible” is…
At the last count, there were at least 15,000 types of fungi in the UK, some of which could be on the edge of extinction. Stereum Ostrea, also called false turkey-tail and golden curtain crust, is a basidiomycete fungus in the genus Stereum. It is a plant pathogen and a wood decay fungus. Because it is a pathogen, Stereum Ostrea is poisonous. The name ostrea, from…
You know how I love paddling with my family, but in the last few years I’ve come to appreciate just how hard it is to protect these precious places. At the end of the Ken Burns series on the national parks, the point was made that every generation will have to choose to protect the…
One of the common names for a mushroom is a toadstool! Polyporus Varius is widely distributed across North America, and is somewhat variable in the color and texture of its cap. Like many polypores it is rather tough, and can manage to “stay up” for quite a while in dry weather—resulting in older specimens with faded, nearly white caps…
Edible mushrooms are a good source of vitamins of the B group and minerals such as copper and potassium (some species contain more potassium than banana).The Pleurotus Dryinus is a species of fungus in the family Proteaceae. It grows on dead wood and is also a weak pathogen, infecting especially broad-leaved trees. This distinctive Pleurotus has a sturdy, fairly central stem and a partial veil that…
Mushrooms recycle dead plants and return valuable nutrients into the ground. They are often used for degradation of dangerous substances such as oils, pesticides and industrial waste. Pleurocybella Porrigens is a species of fungus in the family Marasmiaceae. The species is widespread in temperate forests of the Northern Hemisphere. The Pleurocybella Porrigens is known as the angel wing. It is a white-rot wood-decay fungus on conifer wood, particularly…
Dr. Brian Douglas of The Lost and Found Fungi Project says fungi are as beautiful as orchids and just as important to protect. “I think we need to teach people, and invite people in to admire fungi.” The beautiful Phellinus Robiniae can be found wherever black locust and closely related trees are common. It is a tough, perennial mushroom that…
In some ways, mushrooms are more closely related to animals than plants. Just like us, mushrooms take in oxygen for their digestion and metabolism and “exhale” carbon dioxide as a waste product. Marasmiellus is a genus of fungi in the family Omphalotaceae (synonym to Marasmiaceae). The widespread genus, circumscribed by American mycologist William Murrill in 1915, contains over 250 species. The name comes from the Greek marasmus meaning wasting….
Fly Agaric mushrooms, which look like Super Mario Bros. mushrooms, contain a psychoactive chemical that can cause micropsia/macropsia, aka the illusion that objects around you are larger or smaller than they actually are. Is the Lamaoa Pallidorosea edible? Is the Lamaoa Pallidorosea safe? Those are two very common questions asked about this bicolored specimen. And…
Mushrooms are the only vegetarian food that can make vitamin D. Actually, they contain a “pro-vitamin,” or precursor, called ergosterol that is converted into vitamin D when exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation—similar to how your skin synthesizes the vitamin in response to sun exposure. The Craterellus Ignicolor is known by some as Yellow Foot…