Trametes versicolor – Turkey tail
Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) is one of the most researched medicinal mushrooms. It is very common and grows world-wide. It has many look-a-likes, but no look-a-likes are toxic. Turkey tail fruits most often from June-November on a wide variety of hardwoods and occasionally conifers. It is a saprobic fungus (decomposer) so will be found on […]
Clitopilus prunulus – Sweetbread mushrooms
Sweetbread mushrooms (Clitopilus prunulus) are edible saprobic mushrooms that can be found summer-fall in North America and Europe. Sweetbreads are named after their scent which is reminiscent of raw pastry dough. Sweetbreads grow solitary to gregariously in open areas of forests. The cap is gray to white, convex when young, flattening with maturity. Gills are […]
Fistulina hepatica – Beefsteak fungus
The Beefsteak fungus (Fistulina hepatica) is a rare mushroom that can be found July-October. The Beefsteak fungus resembles a tongue sticking out of a tree when it is young. As it ages, it flattens out and resembles a slab of raw meet. The cap is colored blood-red. The flesh is pale pink with red streaks. […]
Leotia lubrica – Jelly babies
Jelly babies (Leotia lubrica) are gelatinous mushrooms that fruit July-October. They can be found in soil, humus, moss, or well-decayed wood throughout North America. Jelly babies are usually a yellowish-ochre color. They have irregular bumpy caps and a gooey texture. Beneath the caps, the surface is smooth. Jelly babies are ascomycetes, containing spore-bearing structures in […]
Lepista sordida – Sordid blewits
Sordid Blewits (Lepista sordida) are edible mushrooms that can be found in northern temperate zones. Sordid blewits are saprobic, feeding on decomposing organic material including leaf litter, wood chips, and compost. They fruit June-November. The mushrooms will often be found in fairy rings. They can also grow in clusters. Sordid blewits have purplish flesh […]
Lactifluus volemus – Weeping milkcap
The Weeping Milkcap, also known as the Voluminous Latex Milky (Lactifluus volemus), is an edible milkcap that can be found June-September. Milkcaps exude a latex, milky substance when cut as a defense mechanism from predators. The Weeping milkcap can be found worldwide with slight differences. It is now considered a species complex with potentially different […]
Lactifluus corrugis – Corrugated-cap milky
The Corrugated-cap milky (Lactifluus corrugis) is an edible mushroom that is widely distributed in eastern North America. They can be found summer-fall near oak trees. Corrugated-cap milkies have a reddish cap that is covered in a felt-like layer when the mushroom is young. Older specimens have a wrinkled cap appearance. Mushrooms exude a white latex […]
Sarcomyxa serotina – Late Fall Oysters
Late Fall Oysters (Sarcomyxa serotina) are easily identified edible mushrooms that can be found October-December. Late fall oysters can be found on deciduous or conifer logs growing singly or in shelves. They have green, yellow, orange, or purple caps and yellowish gills. There is a line that separates the gills from the stubby stem. The […]