hookahhead Posted May 20, 2014 (edited) My first post in the mycology section! I have been cultivating/hunting fungi for over 10 years. I haven't had a cultivation project in a 2-3 years, but I still like to hunt every season. Luckily, my area is a great for fungi; we have old woods and a nice climate. I have found Reishi (G. lucidum), Morels (Morchella sp.), Shaggy mane (C. comatus), Horse mushroom (A. arvensis), Aspen oyster (P. poplins), Puffballs (Lycoperdon sp.), Yellow-gilled Gym (G. luteofolius) and last but not least Ovoids (P. ovoideocystidiata)! I started finding ovoids in 2005. They typically fruit the end of April to the end of june, and sometimes again in the fall. In the spring they typically are prolific producers, popping up after every rain, but in the fall I am lucky to find a few here and there. So far this year my season hasn't been the best. The weather here just hasn't been right, even the morels were late. Yesterday and today I started finding a few, and I am hoping they are just running a little behind schedule. These are a bit dried out, probably have been up 3-4 days. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilocybe_ovoideocystidiata Edited May 22, 2014 by hookahhead 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookahhead Posted May 22, 2014 (edited) Well it looks like the forest inhabitants are just slow to wake up this year. We got some rain last night, and it brought a couple more P. ovoid pins with it However, I am a bit worried... This patch was recently re-mulched and with it came these invaders that look very similar. I can't stress enough how important it is to positively identify anything you pick. If there is any doubt, toss it out! I know I am not the only one who gathers in this area, and I can see someone less experienced collecting these. I even had to check a few myself to make sure there weren't ovoids mixed in. Luckily, they are easy to tell apart by touch and closer inspection. Please let this be a reminder to forage safety. Found my first Stropharia rugosoannulata! What I think is Trametes versicolor? (I would like any input) Just a random photogenic fungi. (Possibly Mycena sp.?) I thought these might be morels from a distance, but it wasn't a fungi at all! I should have known better, the parasitic plant Conopholis americana is pretty common in the area. I expect to see some Monotropa uniflora soon too. Edited May 22, 2014 by hookahhead 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Berengar Posted May 22, 2014 (edited) Awesome finds! Ovoids are a very beautiful species, always wanted to introduce them here, but never managed to successfully complete even the first stage. Same goes for that Stropharia. Your invaders are an Agrocybe species, Agrocybe putaminum or something in the praecox complex, they are edible, so you don't have to worry in this case. And those do indeed look like T. versicolor, specimens from last autumn, you can tell them apart from lookalikes by comparing the pore size. Edited May 22, 2014 by Tangich 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookahhead Posted May 22, 2014 (edited) Thanks for some more help bud! Some old finds... See how similar they look? 2013 2012 The fungi is Psilocybe ovoideocystidiata and the insect is Apheloria virginiensis, which is a millipede that secretes cyanide compounds as a defense. They definitely looked poisonous so I didn't handle them. Fall 2012 Edit: It just started raining again Edited May 22, 2014 by hookahhead 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookahhead Posted May 24, 2014 Things are starting to "pick" up a little bit Almost missed some Ninja Ovoids hiding amongst the invaders ! Todays haul Some more king stropharia This thing fruits like this every year, it's awesome! Coexisting fungi... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites