Mushrooms

So you thought you’d get away without a mushroom post did you?

Ha!

So here’s the first one. It’s an Amethyst Deceiver and I found it in the yard where they usually grow. Got right in there for a focus bracketing session minutes ahead of the mower. I hope this little jumping spider got to safety. I had no idea it was under the cap and it moved just after I took this group of shots. Didn’t even know it was there until I got the files into the computer. The cap is about 1cm across so it’s really, really tiny. Can’t believe it didn’t move for this group. Love the leg position. Amethyst Deceivers aren’t poison inherently, but they fix any arsenic in the soil and so can become toxic. The purple color doesn’t have anything to do with that so far as I know.

This next one, as you might realize, is probably deadly poisonous as it’s one of the white Amanita species commonly referred to as Destroying Angels. Hard to believe something so lovely could kill you, but they will. Some of the other group of deadlies, known as Death Caps (what a band name!), have toxins with an even more cruel slant. They can be ingested for days without making a person feel sick at all. By the time you do feel bad, it’s been so long a stomach pump or other drastic measures are beyond helping you. For centuries they were a popular way to kill off your enemies since there wasn’t any real way to test for the toxin and it would be days after you or your henchmen would have been in company with your victim. Nice, huh? I love how you can still see the egg in this one. I didn’t even clear the base, I found it this way.

Moving on to a less killer variety, Hygrocybe cantherellus –

They fruit here and there in the yard, most often on an old stump or log and they’re so photogenic. For most of these I used stacking, but this next one is a single exposure. No idea what it is exactly.

This though is a Common Earthball (Scleroderma citrinum) and another big stack. The sporophytes are a great counterpoint to its rotundity.

Found this next one at the base of an old stump in deep shade. It’s an Orange-gilled Waxcap (Humidicutis marginata) and I don’t think I’ve shot any of these before. It’s just starting to dry out and mature and I like the shading from lightest yellow to almost red.

And these aren’t fresh and ivory colored anymore, but I liked them anyway all by themselves on the side of the trail. They are Ramaria stricta or Straight-branched coral and I had to do another stack to get the whole thing in focus. Like always, the scene is a bit messy, but that’s the forest floor for you.

Ok, so not always so messy. This Tawny Grisette (Amanita fulva) was in a bed of beautiful sphagnum moss. I was with a group of people so had to use just a single photo.

Not this Russula though since it was in the yard and I could take some more time. I just love these guys for how cute they are and obviously something else does because it’s tasty.

Another deadly Amanita in the ferns. These are such pretty little things and I liked the bit of sunlight in this little scene –

Oh more Amanita in a similar stage of fruiting. This one is a stack and I wish the background wasn’t quite as messy as it is.

But single shots work too. This Mycena species has some lovely sporophyte company.

And so that’s it for now. If I get inspired I’ll hit a few areas nearby that have a lot of mushrooms and see what I come back with. Hopefully more of these!!!!

Oh and dopey me forgot to talk about that last one – it’s a Hen of the Woods!!! Woo hoo! My favorite eating mushroom. I’ve only ever had it one time in a restaurant in Massachusetts. Despite my casual foraging, I’ve never seen one before. My eagle-eyed friend spied this one when we were paddling a river backwater. She saw it and made a beeline right to it. Since we both love these it was a special moment to find one together. She used my knife to gently remove it from the oak tree and we used her mosquito net to hold it in the bottom of the kayak.

When we got back to my house, she cleaned it – although it didn’t need much it was in such perfect, fresh condition. Then we roasted a bunch of the petals or shelves in the oven with butter & olive oil, salt & pepper & parmesan cheese. I think they’re better than french fries which is quite the thing to say as FFs are my favorite things. We froze the rest (Hens are one of the only mushrooms that freeze well) and I’ll be making more – hubby will love them!!

Ok…I’ll stop now. But oh, if you haven’t tried Hen of the Woods, you’re missing out.