By Andrew Harmon
This summer I worked with the Natural Areas team at Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum. Over the course of four months we scoured hundreds of acres on four properties, finding and removing invasive plants and conserving precious habitats. Aided by an unusually wet spring and summer we also found a plethora of fascinating fungi, gems of color peeking out from the leaf litter. With fall just around the corner it seems appropriate to introduce just a few of the many fungi that can be found around the Matthaei-Nichols properties.
Every fall mycophiles take to the woods, poring over dead stumps and downed logs in their search for mushrooms. These mushrooms are the ephemeral reproductive structures of organisms that are almost invisible throughout the majority of the year. They are valued for their culinary uses, medicinal properties, strange and unique forms, and beautiful colors.
Although many mushrooms are cosmopolitan species that fit into very broad ecological niches, many also rely on very specific environmental conditions. For example the oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) can be grown on straw soaked with diesel fuel. In contrast the American matsutake (Tricholoma magnivelare) is only found in jack pine forests, and even then not often. Some research has even indicated that the abundance of certain mushroom species can be used as a proxy indicator for forest health. Most of the mushrooms described here were found in some of the best areas of habitat that we manage. Their presence tells us that these are areas with a rich diversity of living things, many of which are not easily observed, and that our conservation work is helping to sustain these increasingly uncommon habitats.
Caution: Fungi constitute an important and delicious part of the cuisines of many cultures. However, fungi in general are poorly understood relative to other organisms, and even highly trained professionals cannot always agree on what to call certain species. In fact many mushroom species, including some of the popular edibles, have recently been found to actually be groups of several different visually identical species that may or may not be equally edible. Added to this confusion is the fact that certain fungi—which look, smell, and taste delicious by the way—contain some of the most potent toxins found in nature. If you are interested in learning more about fungi for fun or feasting I highly recommend that you seek the expert guidance of an experienced forager, take a class in field mycology, or look for guided forays with local mushroom hunting clubs (often called “guilds”).
Author’s note: While preparing this post I turned to two sources for invaluable information and guidance. One is mushroom expert Michael Kuo’s website mushroomexpert.com; the other is George Barron’s book Mushrooms of Northeast North America (Lone Pine, 1999).
Author’s note: While preparing this post I turned to two sources for invaluable information and guidance. One is mushroom expert Michael Kuo’s website mushroomexpert.com; the other is George Barron’s book Mushrooms of Northeast North America (Lone Pine, 1999).
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| One of the first of the season was the coral fungus (Artomyces pyxidata). It can be found exploding out of the well-rotted logs that it feeds on discreetly the rest of the year. |
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| This iridescent little mushroom was found along Fleming Creek, peeking out from the moss and leaf litter. Its name is Entoloma incanum and it survives by breaking up and digesting organic matter in the soil. |
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| Another mushroom that has been abundant since early in the summer is this fleshy “jelly fungus” (Auricularia auricula). It is commonly known as the “wood ear” fungus and is actually a common edible. In fact, if you have ever been treated to a truly traditional Chinese hot-and-sour soup then you have probably already enjoyed it! |
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| While we are on the subject of jelly fungi here is an unusual specimen. Tremella reticulata can be found fruiting on the ground throughout the summer and fall, presumably feeding on rotting wood buried just below the soil’s surface. |
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| This is Schizophyllum commune, one of the most widely distributed fungi on the planet. It has even been found growing inside the human mouth. . . . So remember kids, brush your teeth! |
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| Mycena leaiana is a smaller mushroom that grows in large clusters. Its neon orange caps and stems can be seen from a long way off, all but glowing in the shade of the forest |
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| Speaking of glowing mushrooms, this is the season for Omphalotus illudens, the jack-o’-lantern mushroom. The underside of the cap and gills actually glow in the dark! It is one of a number of bioluminescent fungi that can be found gently lighting the trails at night if conditions are just right. |
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| While we are on the topic of orange mushrooms here is a particularly special one, Cantharellus cinnabarinus, the cinnabar chanterelle. Chanterelles are a popular edible mushroom with a history of use in fine cuisine. However, their mysterious lifecycle has managed to frustrate any attempts at commercial production. As of right now any chanterelle being sold in farmers markets or grocery stores has been harvested out of the wild. |
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| Another orange edible! Chicken of the woods,Laetiporus sulpherus, is one of the most easily recognized mushrooms in the woods. The outer parts of this mushroom can be eaten and are really quite good, however be prepared for the real wild foods experience as you cut out the grub-infested sections before cooking. |
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| Here is another easily recognized edible, and one of my personal favorites. The hen of the woods or miatake (Grifola frondosa) erupts from the base of oaks and maples in such massive clusters that just one can provide a meal for weeks. This one was just one of several bunches and weighed in at over six pounds! (Full disclosure: I actually harvested this particular mushroom behind my parents’ house while I was visiting this summer.) |
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| A cousin of the miatake is this massive mushroom, Bondarzewia berkeleyi. We found this mushroom near the base of a massive oak in a savanna near the northern boundary of Matthaei. B. berkeleyi is a parasite that causes butt rot in trees and its presence indicates that that old oak will someday in the near future be making room in the canopy for one of the waiting saplings below. |
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| While searching for a particular patch of invasive plants at the Nichols Arboretum we stumbled upon a bunch of old hemlock trees that had been cut into logs and left to decompose. Enter Ganoderma tsugae, the hemlock varnish shelf. This mushroom is closely related to the famed reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) and is nearly indistinguishable in the field except for its choice of tree to decay. |
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| Recently there have been a number of these mushrooms peeking through the leaf litter. Gyroporus purpurinus is symbiotic with the roots of hardwood trees in what is known as a mycorrhizal relationship. The tree and the fungi grow together and exchange nutrients, each providing something that the other needs. |
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| Sometimes, when you are really looking closely at nature a surprise pops out at you. This mushroom, Marasmius siccus, is only a couple of centimeters tall and stunningly delicate. |
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| No collection of mushroom photos would be complete without a slime mold thrown in for good measure. Here is one of my favorites, Stemonitis fusca. Its little huts look to me like fantastical dwellings rising above a strange landscape. |
Andy Harmon, from Kalamazoo, Michigan, is working on a Master’s of Science in Natural Resources and Environment with a concentration in Conservation Ecology and Environmental Informatics. His interests include Midwest agricultural landscapes that support biodiversity through agroforestry practices. Andy’s internship is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Fund.
