Bruce

Look for the crown-shaped tips of the desirable Artomyces pyxidata.

Artomyces should also be growing on somewhat intact wood residue, while Ramaria tends to grow in forest duff/humus.

Finally, Ramaria stricta retains that orange color upon cooking, while Artomyces will turn brown.

Ramaria stricta is not poisonous, at least not in small doses. But it doesn't really taste very good, either.

This is one lesson I learned the hard way.

Bruce

Be careful here. That looks like Ramaria stricta to me. 

Bruce

Whoa! I'd better go out tomorrow!

Lovely!

10 hours ago, Xiaojun said:

Is this young hens of the woods?

Sure looks like it to me. I need to get out mushrooming!

Bruce

BTW, BH, your kids mugging for the camera are hilarious. :-)

Bruce

Seems to be chicken of the woods, but definitely too far gone to eat. Come back to this same log next year and maybe you'll have more luck.

Bruce

Oysters do this when they get rained on or generally get a day or two past prime. If I get hard up for wild mushrooms, I've been known to collect them and trim them as you did; but since they fruit pretty much all summer I usually just wait until I stumble across something that's in better shape. 

What you did won't hurt you. I just think it's more work than it's worth.

Hope this helps,

Bruce

Nice! I got about 5 pounds myself yesterday. Chicken-fried mushrooms for dinner tomorrow!

Bruce

Just some stuff coming up in my yard.

Agaricus campestris. These have been coming up since the last rain but are slowing now.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Hd-eKxme9RDJCaiMktB9YcrGtNJuWhef

Calvatia craniformis (I believe). Nice fairy ring around a cedar tree.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=16iGHu7iDybbmYrstWqWueRO5Vz4Ql7i_

Coprinellus disseminatus (not edible). These are coming up by the TENS OF THOUSANDS at the base of a couple of dead trees.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TwPDS9vqrBH0YCme48321-chGVt8ssMF

I love this time of year...kinda nice to be able to step outside and collect a few edibles without actually going anywhere.

Bruce

Here's a photo of a recent find.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1oH_73sgbdh0m3GrmTxK26q-TTHsPBrrl

It was growing in oak forest duff. The caps are 2" across or less.

In the field, I thought it was Boletus auripes (Butter-Foot Bolete). Upon getting it home, though, I see that the stem reticulation -- if present -- is VERY subtle. The flesh does not bruise blue. A drop of ammonia on top of the cap caused no discernible reaction. A spore print is still in progress.

Thoughts?

Bruce

3 hours ago, Dhuntington said:

Some people do with honey mushroom. Most dont but that how alot of mushrooms seem to be. Friend of mine cant eat half free morels but can eat yellows and blacks.

Well, I seem to be one of the lucky ones. No untoward effects. I will be eating them again.

Bruce

P.S. I took a spore print beforehand, just to make sure it was white. Better safe than sorry.

On 8/25/2018 at 6:59 PM, Dhuntington said:

Looks like ringless honey mushroom. 

I agree (A. tabescens).

This morning I finally bucked up my nerve, saute'd a few in a minimal amount of butter and ate them. They were quite tasty. Hopefully I won't experience any gastrointestinal effects.

Bruce 

Just another puffball photo.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1KOF9bs2I4b-ZQ4erzNyuiiFIe_pZnMsw

Bruce

Meadow mushrooms (Agaricus sp) displaying several stages of development.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CctArTyKJ2seUH691Bk0IcpxgoTSIsEx

Bruce

Same problem here. It's been that way for months. No idea why.

Bruce

Here are the results of this afternoon's mushroom foray. I was only out hiking for about an hour, but with the brutal heat index today, that was quite long enough.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JQTasM6hmjyfmiQuyST9SclhfOeOtHYC

Clockwise from top-right, we have oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus pulmonarius), mixed chanterelles (Cantharellus cibarus/lateritius), a ridiculous collection of crown corals (Artomyces pyxidatus), and a lovely pair of lilac boletes (Xanthoconium separans).

Bruce

Those look similar to what I just posted.

Bruce

These are coming up in my yard after recent rains. They are under a tree and seem to be sprouting from buried roots. Honey mushrooms, or what?

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qzMqvJKuMD-kWuh88BNQKlFvWklGOduF

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JSJ7tQKzgw4emkcYHrSy-2maTWTrqSJ-

Thanks,

Bruce

P.S. I apologize for making you click on links, but this site STILL refuses to let me upload images directly for some reason. It suddenly quit working the minute I sent in my HMS membership fee.

It's native...just some fungus that grew on my neighbor's field corn. As for supplying a sample, we have cooked all the good stuff and fed the rest to the chickens.

I think my wife has a cache of two-year=old spores, though. We have tried to cultivate it by growing some corn and spraying the silks with them, but our soil isn't very good for corn and what corn we do get ends up feeding the raccoons.

Bruce

Those do look like Lilac Boletes to me. http://www.mushroomfarm.com/mushroom-species/boletes/xanthoconium-separans.html

Most boletes that do not have a red pore surface and do not stain blue on bruising are edible. But not all. And "edible" does not necessarily mean "good."

Getting a book or two and studying up is a good idea. There's a lot of good information on the web, but a lot of misinformation, too.

Bruce

All I can say is, wow. I must be looking in the wrong place!

Bruce

A small crop of corn smut (Ustilago maydis), courtesy of our neighbor down the road.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1i-u92DMgUJ3W5sMZWU7mG7FR5xZbtsFc

It tastes a lot better than it looks.

Bruce

Chicken-fried "Chicken of the Woods" with onion gravy. Dust it with a good amount of black pepper and you'd never know it wasn't a pork cutlet.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1NqoSf2OoOmboliaApjLzBcNh93oa988n

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1OcEW8OlwMPfgFr9yQGoOCbXwmmr_aEJO

Bruce

That looks like a purple-spored puffball (Calvatia cyathiformis). They are edible but -- like most puffballs -- the flavor is pretty mild.

Be sure the flesh is white throughout, not starting to turn purple yet. Some folks remove the outer skin but we find that step to be unnecessary. We ate a couple of this same species two days ago sliced thin like eggplant and saute'd in olive oil with minced garlic until just browned. It was really good prepared that way. 

Bruce