In my front yard
I took advantage of the partially sunny (ok dryish) day to take a walk around my yard. I wanted to see if there were any new specimens fruiting. I was surprise to see so many changes from just a month ago. My daffodils are in full bloom, the maple trees are budding, and my comfrey is sprouting.
As I walked along the hardwood pile of logs, I noticed a new fruiting of the polypores and ran inside to grab my camera. On one log I found 3 different species growing and just up the hill two more. I am curious about the succession of the species that will inhabit these logs.
I found Trametes versicolor, Stereum hirsutum, a Daedalea, Schyzophyllum commune, and the beautiful violet colored Tricaptum abietinus.
In my backyard, in a particularly wet and shady spot I found a Coprinus-like specimen, but it was growing out of a wood stump. The spore print was black and prolific. As I sit here typing this that specimen has completely turned black and the gills have almost disintegrated.
The theme today, seems to be the velvet or hairy type mushrooms. I was excited to discover some new things and am proud of myself for being able to tell the difference between the shelf-like zoned specimens. At first glance they all look so similar, but when you stop and really look, you can see all of the subtle differences.
Observations
Photos / Sounds
What
Hairy Curtain Crust (Stereum hirsutum)Observer
autumnaDescription
Thin leathery, pliant shelf like specimen. Velvety on top with a zoned color from browns to yellows. The spore side is yellow to brown. You can see the hairs on the top and near the margin. There is a slight stipe as a narrowed lateral base. Found on a hardwood log growing with other polypore fungi.
Photos / Sounds
What
Gilled Polypore (Trametes betulina)Observer
autumnaDescription
This maze polypore was growing on a hardwood log. This was zoned white/grey, velvety, cap that had a bit of green algae growing on it. The underside was a maze-like gill system, and this specimen was growing next to Stereum striatum and Trametes versicolor.
Photos / Sounds
What
Turkey-Tail (Trametes versicolor)Observer
autumnaDescription
This specimen is a shelflike, polypore, that is thin and leathery. It is growing in a fan shape and is strongly zoned different colors ranging from buff to brown. The surface is velvety and the margin is wavy and a bit hairy. Growing on a hardwood log. The pore side is a dingy white and the spore print was white. See the spores in the microscopic image, they are cylindrical, smooth and kind of sausage shaped.
Photos / Sounds
What
Purplepore Bracket (Trichaptum abietinum)Observer
autumnaDescription
This shelflike and leathery fungi was growing on a hardwood log. The cap was about 3 cm and in a fan shape, a velvety texure and zoned grey and purple coloring. The spore side was tinged with a bright violet color and white, and the spore print was whiteish. The spores are sausage shaped, cylindrical, and smooth.
Photos / Sounds
What
Splitgill Mushroom (Schizophyllum commune)Observer
autumnaDescription
This fuzzy little specimen was growing on a maple log in clusters. The coloring on the cap ranges from whitish to grey, and the caps are velvety and have a hairy margin. The gill side has the infamous split gill pattern. The spore print was white and the spores were cylindrical, and smooth.
Comments
Wonderful photos and journal entry! :)
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