Mushrooms!

When Science Across NC created Mushroom Quest to encourage mushroom observations from Sept 23-26, I decided it was time to get really into mushrooms, haha! Back in Biology 2, my professor tasked us with going to out to find mushrooms from each of the major groups so I had already had a basic familiarity with them.

Armed with A Field Guide to Mushrooms of the Carolinas by Bessette, Bessette, and Hopping, I started practicing identifying almost every mushroom I come across, even the frustrating brittlegills and those darn blue-staining boletes. One day I'd love to get a microscope with a camera to upload spore pictures... One day.

I've learned there are many puffballs of different shapes and that most white fairy rings I see are poisonous green-spored parasols.

Puffballs were my favorite until I finally found a Lactarius mushroom! I've always loved watching videos of people nicking the gills to see the latex bead up

Observations of fungi I've stumbled across

Edited to add: As I learn, I’m mostly using Michael Kuo’s MushroomExpert website and the book A Field Guide to Mushrooms of the Carolinas by Bessette, Bessette, and Hopping. When I’m referencing information to one of those sources in my own notes of observations I’ll put (Kuo) or (BBH) to indicate where I got the info from

Posted on September 9, 2022 04:41 PM by aureleah_aurita