The Ultimate "What is this Fungi?" thread.

[demographic]

The same as S. crispa demographic. Yeah, lovely edibles, and they have the benefit of being such a large fungus that one can remove only part of the fruiting body, allowing the rest to sporulate unharmed... It dries well too

Iona

Yeah, I read that bit after I got home, slightly miffed with myself for not bringing a lump back with me.

At the time I said to my wife that I thought it was an edible but we were walking the dog and generally doing other stuff so I didn't bother. Should have brought a lump back now.

 

[Iona]

Yeah, I read that bit after I got home, slightly miffed with myself for not bringing a lump back with me.

At the time I said to my wife that I thought it was an edible but we were walking the dog and generally doing other stuff so I didn't bother. Should have brought a lump back now.

Bummer... An excuse for another walk perhaps? It's been gorgeous out there...

Iona

 

[demographic]

Bummer... An excuse for another walk perhaps? It's been gorgeous out there...

Iona

Not going to get the time (its about an hours drive away, just by Thirlmere) till next weekend, not sure how long they last? Anyone?

Especially now its been pretty frosty.

 

[Geoff Dann]

Not going to get the time (its about an hours drive away, just by Thirlmere) till next weekend, not sure how long they last? Anyone?

Especially now its been pretty frosty.

That one was already quite old. There might be some edible bits left, but probably not by now. On the other hand, it is likely to come back next year in the same place.

 

[demographic]

That one was already quite old. There might be some edible bits left, but probably not by now. On the other hand, it is likely to come back next year in the same place.

I didn't have a clue how old it was so thanks for the info, I am planning on going back next year.

Just as a matter of interest though, approximately how long do they last before they are too old? Any idea?

 

[Geoff Dann]

I didn't have a clue how old it was so thanks for the info, I am planning on going back next year.

Just as a matter of interest though, approximately how long do they last before they are too old? Any idea?

I'm not sure how fast they grow.

They are best before they start turning dark yellow.

 

[Elen Sentier]

Found on my walk up the lane today, on the outer range of a horse chestnut tree, in the bottom of a hedge - what is it? Can I eat it?

 

[moa_shooter]

Chaga or Burr?
.

This looks like a burl but if you could reach it and cut off a piece you would know for sure.

 

[xylaria]

Elen your mushroom looks like a very frost bitten clubfoot clitocybe. The picture is too dark to be at all positive. The colour of the mushroom is brown, where as clubfoots are dusky grey, but they go more brown when the decay.

The gills coming slightly down the stem is clitocybes and the 1950s flysaucer shape you will find in clubfoots as well the difinative club on the bottom of the stem.

 

[thorpey0]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me what this Lichen (I think it is lichen??) is growing on a cut log, is it toxic at all? It is red in very small balls and is with some while lichen/fungus.

This fungi was growing in a local wood, they were slimy looking, I was there with a local ranger and she did not know what they were either. Many thanks.

 

[xylaria]

top one nectria cinnabarina coral-spot disease, the white stuff might be part its lifecycle. There is a huge amount of differant fungi that make white mats on the surface of bark though.

Bottom one bulgaria inquinans maybe ???

 

[thorpey0]

Many thanks for your comments xylaria. Are either toxic at all, especially coral spot disease, as these logs are in a school and used for forest school activities.

All the best,

Jay

 

[xylaria]

Many thanks for your comments xylaria. Are either toxic at all, especially coral spot disease, as these logs are in a school and used for forest school activities.

All the best,

Jay

coral spot disease is toxic to trees causing branches to die back, its life cycle is very interesting and might make an interesting lesson.

There is no fungi in britian that is toxic by touch. Big visable fungi need to eaten to be poisonous. Some very small fungi like molds can make people especailly asthmatics ill, but niether of these are molds. Fungi are rarely deadly toxic, and are really interesting part of life, from microscopically small to forming underground mats spread over miles.

No person has ever tried eating coral spot fruit bodies, and the bulgaria is black snotty stuff, presuming individuals that randomly put stuff in their months have 1 to 1 supervision the chance of any toxic effect is infantesimal IMHO. The bulgaria might be jelly ear [auricularia] looking at the specium on the bottom, jelly ear is edible. It looks like ears when is it drier, and dark brown jelly in the rain.

 

[thorpey0]

Many thanks for the useful information. The children get taught that no fingers get put in mouths or noses and they are really good at spotting and then not touching anything they find. To be honest they seem to approach each fungi they spot as though it is deadly poisonous ;-)

I know I am probably going to sound daft to the initiated on this forum but there is Jew' ear in the wood (and some lovely horses hoof fungus - why can't they all be that easy to identify!!), is jelly ear in any way related?

 

[xylaria]

Many thanks for the useful information. The children get taught that no fingers get put in mouths or noses and they are really good at spotting and then not touching anything they find. To be honest they seem to approach each fungi they spot as though it is deadly poisonous ;-)

I know I am probably going to sound daft to the initiated on this forum but there is Jew' ear in the wood (and some lovely horses hoof fungus - why can't they all be that easy to identify!!), is jelly ear in any way related?

jelly ear is new name for jews ear, less antisemitic common name.

Kids are more likely to die early from heart disease by thinking the natural world is dangerous than by touching anything out there. Most daft rules are written by adults without any knowledge so come up with risk assesments based on fear not facts. Realistic risks for real situtions, a kid aint going to die of hypothermia because they play in the snow or die because they touch a mushroom.

Trees should be checked every year, and check that plants that are harmful to touch arent in the area.

 

[thorpey0]

Hi,

Can you tell me what this is please? I was thinking a Bracket fungus but which one and how good to eat? Thanks

 

[demographic]

Hi,

Can you tell me what this is please? I was thinking a Bracket fungus but which one and how good to eat? Thanks

Looks like Birch Polypore to me

 

[EarthToSimon]

I'm stuck with this one, is it a damaged horses hoof fungi? it's on a sycamore stump.

Looks a bit like a gargoyle.

Thanks

 

[EarthToSimon]

A little bump on this, does anyone know what it is?

Thanks,
Simon

 

[Harvestman]

I'll have a guess EarthtoSimon. It might be a species of Inonotus. The ones that I have seen tend to weep liquids like that one. Inedible, and I'm not away of any bushy uses for them. To be honest, bracket fungi are difficult to identify anyway, so you may be out of luck getting a definite identification from the picture. It does look interesting though. I think it is too pale to be Horse's Hoof.