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