Naturalist's Corner - Fungi Fun

A wreath of turkey tails around a stump

Wow! The late summer and early fall woods have been a wonderland of interesting fungi. While the flowers of the prairies and forests are fading, the mushrooms are still popping.

We often hunt for mushrooms for tasty eating. Who can resist a morel, chicken of the woods, chanterelle or lobster mushroom? But there is much to be said for simply delighting in and learning to identify the mycelium network's endless parade of interesting fungal fruit.  

Fruit? Yes, fruit.

Mushrooms and fungi are the fruiting bodies of the vast, intricate mycelium network that stretches underground, often for miles. Mushrooms use enzymes to break down organic material rather than photosynthesis. They are the great decomposers of the earth. The material that is broken down eventually becomes soil. We see that decomposition work in every branch or tree trunk covered in fungi that we pass along the trail. And, if we stay alert on the sides of the trails we hike, there are many delightful fungi to catch the eye.

Looking at the inside stem of
a chanterelle mushroom
on a guided hike

If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend going on a guided hike or two with mushroom experts. They provide great tips on finding and identifying both edible and non-edible fungi. As someone new to mushroom identification, I found these learning experiences really helpful as my eyes got more attuned to fungi finding. Plus I'm lucky to have lots of hiking buddies who share my delight - and much sharper eyes than mine!

As a newbie, I often see a mushroom on the trails that I can't identify. I take photos from different angles and then head home to work on more accurately identifying the fungi. Apps like Picture Mushroom, Shroom ID, Shroomify can help to get a first general ID but can be pricey.  Seek can sometimes come in handy but often can only do a generalized identification.

So I start my real study with Teresa Marrone and Kathy Yerich's field guide, Mushrooms of the Upper Midwest. This guide is small enough to carry in a back pack but I am often hiking at pace and don't have the time to linger. At home, I can take my time to compare my photos and their descriptions to come up with an identification. 

Below are a few of my favorite fungi pictures from the last several months. I hope you keep your eye out for the next few weeks while you're leaf-peeping and see what you can find!

The common but always beautiful 
dryad's saddle or pheasant back mushroom

Jelly tree ear fungus

A herd of orange mycena mushrooms

Fluted elfin saddle mushroom

An intricate wrinkled peach mushroom

Very tiny purple fairy finger mushrooms

Not cheetos, but delicate golden club mushrooms

Chicken of the woods

Dog's nose fungus

Snow jelly fungus

An "old" old-man-in-the-woods

Scarlet waxy cap mushroom

Lung oyster mushroom

Indigo milkcap mushroom

Shaggy mane mushroom going to ink

Purple-gilled laccaria

See you on the trails!

Images - Marge Loch-Wouters