Winter Haul

I suppose spring can wait as long as I get consolation like this! It is an early year for some of these mushrooms.

Shown here are chanterelles (Cantharellus formosus), belly button hedgehogs (Hydnum umbilicatum), yellow foot chanterelles (Craterellus tubaeformis), pigs ears (Gomphus clavatus), black trumpets (Craterellus cornucopioides), and white matsutake (Tricholoma magnivelare). I found the matsutake right where I predicted, near the sugar sticks.

Hydnum umbilicatum detail. Notice the 'teeth' instead of gills or pores

Craterellus cornucopioides 

Waiting for Springtime

I've been thinking of spring lately. Tell me that you are too, and when spring comes around I will take you to some of the best east bay flower spots around.

Gray mule's ear, Wyethia helenioides

Woodland star, Lithophragma parviflorum

Tidy tips, Layia platyglossa

I don't know what this is yet! UFO.

Amanita lanei

The coccora, Amanita lanei, is an edible mushroom. But you better be sure that it is a coccora and not another of the Amanitas! The toxic Amanitas are the deadliest mushrooms and can look a lot like the coccora.

Amanita lanei 

On the same outing found about 10 pounds of golden chanterelles. I am pretty sure these are C. californicus because they were found exactly where last year I found dinner plate size chanterelles, which the C. californicus does in age.

Cantherellus californicus 

Boletus edulis

When it rains it pours. This is about half the haul of King Boletes from the last foray. The largest one is as big as my head. Often they are riddled with maggots, but all of these were exceptionally clean. I dried all the big ones, and made cream of king bolete soup with a small one.

Boletus edulis, 11/15/10

Found hidden in the grass under bishop pine on the Medocino coast.

What the rain brings

Three kinds of Chanterelle in one outing, and a mystery solved.

My personal favorite edible mushroom is the Golden Chanterelle. I was very happy to see these, it will probably be another good season for them. I still cannot get handle on the differences between some of the species. These could be C. cibarius, C. formosus, or the newly described C. californicus. I am going to call these C. cibarius, but there were a couple of small slender ones that I think are C. formosus. They smell like apricots and have a nice nutty flavor when sauted.

Cantharellus cibarius 10/31/10

The first White Chanterelles that I have found that are in good enough shape to eat. They have all the attributes of the Golden ones without the apricot odor or nuttiness. 

Cantharellus subalbidus 10/31/10

And the mystery solved is the Scaley Chanterelle. These were young fruitings before they flare out. The mystery UFO is the nascent form of the mushroom. I originally thought it was some sort of club mushroom, it is really easy to be wrong about young fruitings. Unfortunately it is not edible.

Gomphus floccosus 10/31/10

Laetiporus sulphureus

The first rains have arrived, let the mushroom season begin!

Chicken of the Woods, Laetiporus sulphureus ( bawk! bawk! ) comes out soon before the first rain of the season. It grows out in orange fans, this one about a foot and half across, weighing 3 or 4 pounds. It is amazing how large it gets with such little water.

Laetiporus sulphureus, 10/17/10

The bottom is a velvety yellow.

Laetiporus sulphureus, 10/17/10

Cooked, it has the texture of cooked chicken meat and a mild flavor.

UPDATE: I have been informed that this mushroom should not be eaten if old, or if it was found on Eucalyptus stumps. When young it is tender and the underside has a clear liquid on the surface.

Orthocarpus densiflorus

Owl's clover.

Orthocarpus densiflorus, Brentwood, 3/27/10

Piperia elegans

Another native California orchid, Piperia elegans, elegant piperia. This was one on Montara Mountain.

Close up of Piperia elegans, Montara Mountain, 9/11/10

Piperia elegans, Montara Mountain, 9/11/10

Corallorhiza mertensiana

Coral root, Corallorhiza mertensiana, is an orchid that shows up under Oaks and hard woods, usually starting in May. These ones were in Leona Canyon by Merritt College. They are parasites on Russula mycelium, which is a family of mushrooms I see quite a bit, but know little about.

They are hard to see and quite delicate, so if you are off trail in these kinds of environments, be careful. They also frequently are close to the trails, so when hiking near oaks, and you see moss and duff, keep an eye out.

Corallorhiza mertensiana, Leona Canyon, 5/16/10

Antron quercusechinus

This small gall is created on oak leaves  by Antron quercusechinus, the Urchin gall wasp. It chemically induces the tree to grow the gall in which it lives. Quite a neat trick. These were on a Blue Oak in Round Valley.

Antron quercusechinus gall on blue oak leaf, 9/6/10

Zauschneria californica

One of the last flowers out in Tilden this summer is Zauschneria californica, California Fuchsia. It is not a fuchsia, but the flower resembles them.

Zauschneria californica

Hygrocybe cantharellus

There are numerous Waxy Caps, and they are very hard to tell apart. But I think this one is Hygrocybe cantharellus or Hydrocybe miniata. Note the gills match the cantharellus description, but like so many mushrooms, the features vary and can be grade into each other. 

Hygrocybe cantharellus, 8/29/10

Aquilegia formosa

One of my favorites, but not quite rare, Aquilegia formosa, the Western Columbine. I have found smaller delicate ones locally, and tall vigorous ones in Medocino National Forrest.

Aquilegia formosa, Grizzly Peak, 4/24/10

Calochortus umbellatus

The Oakland Mariposa lily, Calochortus umbellatus, is rare but can be found in Marin on Ring Mountain as well as the Oakland hills in spring. In the same family as the Globe Lilies.

Calochortus umbellatus, Redwood Park, 4/24/10

Stylomecon heterophylla

The Wind Poppy, Stylomecon heterophylla, is native to California and the only species in its genus. It is uncommon, but shows up abundantly in spring ( this one in May ) on Mt Diablo.

Stylomecon heterophylla, Mt Diablo, 5/22/10

Local Jewel Flower Species

Strepanthus niger, Henry Coe, 5/3/10

The local jewel flowers are quite small, but very beautiful little flowers, and are pretty rare. They favor south west facing serpentine outcrops on the peaks around the bay area, and are often found with other small white flowers (that I have not identified yet) with the same habits. Each peak seems to have its own version of Strepanthus.

Henry Coe has a serpentine outcrop that I went to investigate this spring. I sat cross-legged amidst some small flowers on the out crop, and this guy was right at my feet. Note how the flowers are smooth.

Strepanthus niger, Henry Coe, 5/3/10

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A couple weeks later on Mt Diablo, I came across this version. It is quite furry and was growing in something other than serpentine, but with the same characteristics.

Strepanthus hispidus, Mt Diablo, 5/22/10

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This one was on Mt Tam, not quite as hairy as the one from Henry Coe, but in the same habitat coincident with the same white flowers. The coincident plant is much easier to see, so if looking for jewel flowers on serpentine, look for it first.

Streptanthus glandulosus ssp. pulchellus, Mt Tam, 5/31/10

Orobanche fasciculata

Orobanche fasciculata, the Clustered Broomrape. It is a parasitic plant, no leaves or chlorophyll. This one was on Mt Diablo in May.

Orobanche fasciculata, 5/22/10

Globe Lilies

Henry Coe state park is teeming with native flowers in the spring. I will have more about from Henry Coe from this spring later. This is Calochortus albus, a White Globe Lilly, found at Henry Coe state park.

Calochortus albus, 5/3/10

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A couple of weeks later on I encountered this one, Calochortus pulchellus, the Mt Diablo Fairy Lantern. It only grows on Mt Diablo.

Calochortus pulchellus, 5/22/10

Unidentified Fungal Object

I don't know what this is... some kind of club fungi?

UPDATE: Mystery solved: Gomphus floccosus - it is not a club at all but very early Scaley Chanterelle

Boletus legaliae

Another strange find for August! Boletus legaliae. Actually quite beautiful, it is poisonous. It turns blue instantly when cut, and often filled with maggots.

Boletus legaliae, 8/22/10

Boletus legaliae stains blue when cut

Edit: previously I thought this was Boletus satanas, and while B. satanas is closely related, it has a whitish cap.

Edit 2: My classification here is probably wrong, still looking into it.

Edit 3: Boletus haematinus ?

Hemitomes congestum

These are the fruiting bodies of Hemitomes congestum, the Gnome Plant. Found near the coast north of SF. It is one of the rarest of monotropoids, plants that are parasitic on fungus, like Allotropa virgata.

Fruiting Gnome Plant

Here is a flowering one... with a slug.

Flowering Gnome Plant

Eschscholzia caespitosa

A rare ( to me at least, this is my first find ) Tuffted Poppy. It is alot like the California Poppy, but about half the size, yellow, and with no collar at the base of the flower.

Eschscholzia caespitosa, 7/22/10

I found this by Indian Valley Reservoir in Mendocino National Forrest.

Clarkia amoena

These Clarkia amoena, Farwell to Spring, are abundant now in the Berkeley hills. They pop out of the yellow grasses in clusters of 40 or 50 sometimes, usually on east facing slopes, but not exclusively.

Clarki amoena , Sibley, 7/30/10

Another from Mendocino National Forrest

Clarki amoena, Mendocino, 7/22/10

Mushrooms in August?

August is usually not the month you look for mushrooms, but it has been a cool summer in the SF bay area, and there are a few spots that get constant fog. If the conditions are just right, there are some fruitings, and if you are faster than the hungry slugs you might find yourself a meal ( or a stomach ache ).

Amanita muscaria ( Do not eat! ), Sibley, 8/22/10

Boletus edulis, Sibley, 8/22/10

I think we may have another great year for mushrooms!

Allotropa virgata

I found these on the coast north of San Francisco a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was an orchid of some kind but it is not.

Allotropa virgata

Its common name is Sugar Stick, probably for obvious reasons. It apparently grows exclusively on Matsutake mycelium, so I know where to go this winter!

Agaricus perobscurus

While driving down a dirt road I spotted this mushroom under a cypress tree. Agaricus perobscurus ( the Princess ) is only found in San Francisco bay area and closely related to Agaricus augustus ( the Prince ). It smells like almond extract and is very delicious. It is an odd find for August (Edit: acutally not really, it is apparently most common in late summer), but if the conditions are just right, mushrooms will take advantage.

Agaricus perobscurus, Bolinas, 8/29/10