Photographing Mushrooms

[JohnKoerner]

I have become fascinated with the hobby of photographing mushrooms and was wondering if others took pleasure in this also? I have also purchased several field guides to help with identification, but it seems like none covers them all. Consequently, I have had trouble identifying a few and was wondering if anyone reading this knows what species these are:





Jack



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[wolfnowl]

Hi Jack:

My apologies for taking so long to get back to you on this.  For mushroom ID in Florida, your best bet would be to contact the Florida Mycology Research Center (mycology is the study of mushrooms and fungi).  If anyone can help you out, it's there.

http://www.mushroomsfmrc.com/

Mike.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Hi Jack:

My apologies for taking so long to get back to you on this.  For mushroom ID in Florida, your best bet would be to contact the Florida Mycology Research Center (mycology is the study of mushrooms and fungi).  If anyone can help you out, it's there.

http://www.mushroomsfmrc.com/

Mike.

I have to wonder: Is this the first time ever that Mike has been stumped on the LuLa Forum by the identification of some arcane thingy from nature? But even so, he was able to point you to a place to get the answers.

The mushroom identification problem reminds me of walking in the woods in Maine many years ago with a couple consisting of the then predident and a former preseident of the Boston Mycological Society. It was a bit unnerving to hear them arguing about the identification of certain fungi ("Oh, look at that ----!", "That's not a ----, it's obviously an xxxx!", etc.). They did pick some that they both agreed were Chantarelles, which they sauteed up for dinner (delicious! Not to be confused with the poisonous Jack-O-Lantern mushroom).


 

[wolfnowl]

I have to wonder: Is this the first time ever that Mike has been stumped on the LuLa Forum by the identification of some arcane thingy from nature?

No...

The mushroom identification problem reminds me of walking in the woods in Maine many years ago with a couple consisting of the then predident and a former preseident of the Boston Mycological Society. It was a bit unnerving to hear them arguing about the identification of certain fungi ("Oh, look at that ----!", "That's not a ----, it's obviously an xxxx!", etc.). They did pick some that they both agreed were Chantarelles, which they sauteed up for dinner (delicious! Not to be confused with the poisonous Jack-O-Lantern mushroom).

Mushrooms can be quite tricky to ID correctly; some species can only be positively identified by making a spore print.  To make a spore print you place the cap of the mushroom - gill side down - on a sheet of white paper and leave it for a day or so.  The spores fall out of the mushroom and onto the paper, leaving behind a distinctive pattern.  The 'costs' of misidentifying a mushroom can be quite high!  Oh, and never go by, "I saw a squirrel eating these".  The definitely does not work.

In the immortal words of one of my college professors: "Whenever you take people out on a plant walk, walk ten steps ahead and step on anything you can't identify."

Mike.

[JohnKoerner]

No...
Mushrooms can be quite tricky to ID correctly; some species can only be positively identified by making a spore print.  To make a spore print you place the cap of the mushroom - gill side down - on a sheet of white paper and leave it for a day or so.  The spores fall out of the mushroom and onto the paper, leaving behind a distinctive pattern.

Very true Mike!

I purchashased a copy of arguably the finest "mushroom book" available (Mushrooms of the Southeastern United States, co-authored by 5 different mycologists), which tags at over $90, and still have trouble identifying several species. While this book carries a high retail cost (I got a deal on it for $65+ at amazon.com), and is accompanied with absolutely stellar photography, the scientists who put the book together likewise discuss the "spore patterns" of the various species as a means of identification.

While I have purchased many field guides to flowers to help me with identification, the photography in most of the flower guides I have got from Amazon is terrible, and none compares to the photography in Mushrooms of the Southeastern United States. Yet despite the clarity and quality of both the photos and text in this work, it remains true that some species are simply impossible to identify without dissection (as well as others not being covered with photos in the book), which is why I was hoping that someone more knowledgeable than I might be able to help with these  

The 'costs' of misidentifying a mushroom can be quite high!  Oh, and never go by, "I saw a squirrel eating these".  The definitely does not work.
In the immortal words of one of my college professors: "Whenever you take people out on a plant walk, walk ten steps ahead and step on anything you can't identify."
Mike.

LOL, while very, very true Mike, no worries there though (at least for me) ... because I have no culinary interest at all in these bizarre fungi, just a photographic one

Thank you very much for responding, Mike. I guess I will either leave the ones I have trouble with as "unidentified" on my site, or just try my best to get the ID right, unless and until someone takes me to task on any mistakes I've made, in which case I will welcome the information  

Jack


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[Eric Myrvaagnes]

John,

Why don't you just call them "Mushroom 1", Mushroom 2", etc.    

[JohnKoerner]

John,
Why don't you just call them "Mushroom 1", Mushroom 2", etc.  

LOL, I may have to!

What I have found, though, is if I think I am close on an ID in my book ... I can plug that scientific name into the web ... and then that name plus a whole host of related species can be found.

Toward that end, www.mushroomexpert.com has proven to be a very good cross-reference and "similar species" photo guide, for those who might also share this interest.

Jack

[wolfnowl]

Someone needs to create a site like http://bugguide.net for mushrooms...

Mike.

[Bill Koenig]

Here is a good web site.
http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/

[JohnKoerner]

Here is a good web site.
http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/

Thank you Bill.

Here's another nice one that I was able to find






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[Dan Berg]

Thank you Bill.

Here's another nice one that I was able to find






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Here,s one of mine . Not sure what kind they are either.

[pete_truman]

I'm no expert at all and no real idea how species differ across continents (I'm in the UK), but the last image looks to me like a Fairie's Bonnet (Coprinus disseminatus) that's been sitting around for a while. The attached was taken about midday so not yet showing much sign of age. Just a suggestion!

[attachment=16539:IMG_2544.jpg]

Identifying fungi once they are more than a few hours old (depending on conditions) can be really difficult as their colours fade or brown before they rot. Best time is early morning when they are fresh. I'm sure that's the best time to pick edible fungi, but I would not trust my identification skills to eat one unless it was spotted in a greengrocer or supermarket.

Is Mushroom 2 some kind of bracket fungus? I have no idea what the others are.

[JohnKoerner]

Here,s one of mine . Not sure what kind they are either.

I don't know either, but I will look it up in a minute and see if I could find it ... however, it looks like it is related to Pete's Coprinus ssp.   8^)

Thanks for sharing,

Jack


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[JohnKoerner]

I'm no expert at all and no real idea how species differ across continents (I'm in the UK), but the last image looks to me like a Fairie's Bonnet (Coprinus disseminatus) that's been sitting around for a while. The attached was taken about midday so not yet showing much sign of age. Just a suggestion!
[attachment=16539:IMG_2544.jpg]

Very nice shot (love the moss on the log as part of the composition), and looking at my book it does look like a Coprinus ssp.

Identifying fungi once they are more than a few hours old (depending on conditions) can be really difficult as their colours fade or brown before they rot. Best time is early morning when they are fresh. I'm sure that's the best time to pick edible fungi, but I would not trust my identification skills to eat one unless it was spotted in a greengrocer or supermarket.
Is Mushroom 2 some kind of bracket fungus? I have no idea what the others are.

Very true about morning being the best time to scout, particularly after it rains at night  

Regarding mushroom 2 being a bracket fungus, I appreciate the tip and will check it out online, as my book doesn't make mention of bracket fungi.

Thanks for sharing,

Jack

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[pete_truman]

Re Mushroom 2 and bracket fungus suggestion. It looks like its attached to a birch and very similar to the Birch Polypore (Piptoporus betulinus) that are very common in the UK.

Yes, often out in the woods on damp early mornings in September through November foraging for mushrooms, but not for the cooking pot  

[Luc Hosten]

I write for a South African photographic magazine and a few years ago I did a feature on photographing musrooms. It almost took more time to identify the mushrooms than the picture taking did and I used about 4 different books. I guess fungi are cosmopolitan and there are no limits to their distribution except of the necessary growing conditions as their spores are light and travel very easily. Using the links given here I will try to write another one next year and hopefully the identification will go much easier.

[nstop]

I'm no mycologist, but I have an excellent guide to eastern Canada & the northeastern USA.

I have no idea for #1
#2 does look like a bracket fungus.  Try searching on “polypore” or “ganoderma”.  Most bracket fungi grow on the side of trees or stumps with no stalk, but some have stalks.
#3 looks like one of the waxcaps:  maybe Hygrocybe conica.
#4 looks like a Bolete of some kind, but you probably already figured that much.

Good luck!

Brian

[wolfnowl]

Hi Brian:  This being your first post... welcome to the list!  

Mike.

[JohnKoerner]

I'm no mycologist, but I have an excellent guide to eastern Canada & the northeastern USA.
I have no idea for #1
#2 does look like a bracket fungus.  Try searching on “polypore” or “ganoderma”.  Most bracket fungi grow on the side of trees or stumps with no stalk, but some have stalks.
#3 looks like one of the waxcaps:  maybe Hygrocybe conica.
#4 looks like a Bolete of some kind, but you probably already figured that much.
Good luck!
Brian

Hello Brian and welcome.

I am still stumped on #1 also.
I do believe #2 is a polypore, but remain unsure as to an exact ID.
I half-heartedly thought I had properly identified #3 as a Yellow Unicorn Entoloma, (Nolanrs murrai), but I believe you hit the nail on the head with your ID of Hygrocybe conica, which my Googling tells me is The Witch's Hat, so thank you for the correction!
I believe I have identified #4 as a Red-And-Yellow Bolete, (Boletus bicolor), or at least some ssp. of Boletus, possibly also fraternus or campestris, all of which (according to what I have read) are virtually indistinguishable.

Just for fun, I have attached a pic of another bizarre fungus, a polypore I believe I have identified correctly as Antrodia albida:


 


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[wolfnowl]

This is a huge fungus, about as long as your forearm, and there were all kinds of flies and worms living amongst its cells (which seemed to leak some kind of nectar??).

Nice shot, Jack!  Try searching for 'pycnial nectar' and see if that's what you've come across.

Mike.