Ken Fischer noticed a tiny pink mushroom with white pleated gills growing out of his wood storage. Bev Vogt identified it as a Pleated Marasmius, Murasmius plicatulus.
If Walt Disney had seen this little beauty I wonder if he would have included it in Fantasia. That movie is where I saw Fly Amanitas for the first time and they were dancing!
Putting fanciful thoughts aside, I thank Ken for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
On a mushroom forage with David Arora several weeks ago, he introduced us to the Shrimp Russula, Russula xerampelina. When David visited us the next day he immediately spotted a nice big one growing on the edge of our forest.
The first thing to look for is the dark red cap. This is substantial mushroom, unlike some of the inedible russulas. Next look for a rosy blush on the stem. Then scratch the stem and see if it turns yellow. For a final test you can do what Bev Vogt taught me. Take a tiny bite, chew and then spit it out. If its peppery it is NOT the Shrimp Russula.
Arora writes in Mushrooms Demystified, "(they are) edible and unforgettable - one of the least appreciated of our edible fungi."
I have a new edible mushroom to add to all the others I have learned to love.
To see more of the Arora mushroom forage, click here: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/11/mushroom-forage-with-author-david-arora.htmlveTo
Coccora mushrooms, Amanita calyptroderma, are just poking up through the forest duff on our Anchor Bay property. They appear in the same place, year after year. A mushroom expert friend, Bev Vogt, identified them for Rick and me some years ago. She declared this part of our property, "Coccora heaven!"
In the days to come, the white you see below will adorn a golden-colored cap. These are edible, indeed considered choice by some. But with the creamy white top removed they can be confused with the Death Cap, Amanita phalloides. As the name implies, it is deadly poisonous.
I wouldn't eat a Coccora unless I had picked it myself. They are quite beautiful to look at. I will post a photograph here when they are in "full flower."
