Cambridge, August 27th, 2017
On weekend I visited forest near Cambridge (Ontario). The area is some 45 km North-West of my home. I was passing through really old hardwoods and area with mature spruce.
The most spectacular was strong showing of clusters of Clitocybula oculus. In my main field guide (Mushrooms of Ontario and Eastern Canada) the name is differently spelled, so there is some difficulty finding info on this mushroom.
The main prize was my first find of the Hericium americanum. Excellent edible tasting very much like seafood (scallops). This mushroom loves old decayed logs. Some years I find them in great numbers. The one on the picture is very young and fresh, with pink overtones in the tips. It still did not develop relatively long "teeth", typical for this species.
As an interesting find I will mention Geopora sepulta. Very handsome cup mushroom. I do not encounter it frequently.
The first mushroom I noticed was chicken fat mushroom (Suillus americanus). It was scattered in ones and twos under a group of pines. Easy to recognize by the yellow coloration of the cap and characteristic "umbo" (small peak). In young specimens pores are yellowish and change to brown in maturity. They are angular and relatively large. The mushrooms is edible (check my general views on the (Suillus genera).
As a curiosity I will mention Helvella crispa. For me it is relatively common find, but very curious and beautiful in it's own way. Some areas under spruce were covered with this sac mushroom.
I walked in the middle of medium size flash of safron milky mushroom (Lactarius deliciosus). I estimate approximately middle of the "mushrooming window", so groups contained all stages of mushroom development - from buttons to big funnels. In my experience at this time of the year this particular mushroom is heavily infested with vermin and it is very hard to pick handful of pristine ones. I usually do not bother. Some quick spot checks proved that even small buttons were already invaded.
Hardwoods
The most spectacular was strong showing of clusters of Clitocybula oculus. In my main field guide (Mushrooms of Ontario and Eastern Canada) the name is differently spelled, so there is some difficulty finding info on this mushroom.
The main prize was my first find of the Hericium americanum. Excellent edible tasting very much like seafood (scallops). This mushroom loves old decayed logs. Some years I find them in great numbers. The one on the picture is very young and fresh, with pink overtones in the tips. It still did not develop relatively long "teeth", typical for this species.
As an interesting find I will mention Geopora sepulta. Very handsome cup mushroom. I do not encounter it frequently.
Coniferous Woods
The first mushroom I noticed was chicken fat mushroom (Suillus americanus). It was scattered in ones and twos under a group of pines. Easy to recognize by the yellow coloration of the cap and characteristic "umbo" (small peak). In young specimens pores are yellowish and change to brown in maturity. They are angular and relatively large. The mushrooms is edible (check my general views on the (Suillus genera).
As a curiosity I will mention Helvella crispa. For me it is relatively common find, but very curious and beautiful in it's own way. Some areas under spruce were covered with this sac mushroom.
I walked in the middle of medium size flash of safron milky mushroom (Lactarius deliciosus). I estimate approximately middle of the "mushrooming window", so groups contained all stages of mushroom development - from buttons to big funnels. In my experience at this time of the year this particular mushroom is heavily infested with vermin and it is very hard to pick handful of pristine ones. I usually do not bother. Some quick spot checks proved that even small buttons were already invaded.
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