Curious Aardvark wrote on Nov 26
th, 2020 at 7:06am:
yeah you lucky sod - that is one awesome specimen of a slime mold.
If you'd noticed sooner you;d have seen that before it turned into a 'mushroom' it would have looked quite different.
Slime moulds are amazing beasts that morph into different structures throughout their lifespan.
You can't eat them - but theye are really amazing organisms.
@vetryan - take some pictures - also there are a bunch of apps/books on fungal identification that you can install on your phone.
The good edible ones are generally pretty easy to identify.
And the basic rule is that if you are not 100% sure - don't pick it.
But you should get some decent ones in your wood. The best edible ones tend to live in symbiosis with trees and help break down dead materials that feed both the mycelium and the tree roots.
Is it just me or is it sort of hilarious how excited people are about slime mold?
But it's true though. The more you understand about nature the more you appreciate even the most mundane looking things.
@Vetryan- if you have android try the Audubons guide to mushrooms. Just got off a long shift and can't be bothered to look up spelling. There's another one I really liked but can't remember the name. Find one that has a quiz function. Go through the quiz over and over and try to choose the correct multiple choice answer for what it is. This will help you identify the genus by looks (though some need more clues). Having the genus will greatly narrow down the possible mushroom species.
Some mushrooms are impossible to tell by species without a relatively good microscope for observing basidiospores and the like. Some can only be reliably identified by genetic testing. It's very complex.
The great thing for newer mushroom hunters is the fact that there are so many choice edible mushrooms that can be easily identified and are far, far better than agaricus bisporus, the typical button mushroom.
The identification apps are more helpful for those with a little experience due to the fact that new mushroom enthusiasts often have a hard time telling minor differences between different genera/species.
January 1st is coming soon and I'll be starting a new mushroom hunting thread. Please feel free to post as many mushies as you wish.