Fruit on the Forest Floor, Part II

 I had another post topic planned for this time, but for various reasons, it will have to wait a bit longer. So in the meantime, without a lot of birds to report on now that Christmas Bird Counts are over and winter has settled in, I will catch up a bit on this fungi topic. The first part of this topic, which explains a lot that I won't repeat here, can be found at this link. 

On to fungi! 

The ones featured here were photographed in the fall of 2023, as winter isn't exactly prime time for fungi. Some might still be visible, but with the snow and cold of course, they just aren't going to be in good fresh looking condition.

This first one is a member of the Bonnet group, based on the shape of the cap.

Next is the Ochre Bracket.

It is always useful to get an overview of a fungus, as well as a closer view of the underside. These next two show an Oysterling.

A fungal group that really caught my eye is this next one. It is likely the Pestle Puffball, although it might just be a Puffball. There were well over 100 of these scattered across a well rotting log, and even on the ground, undoubtedly growing on rotting wood just below the surface. This huge cluster was along the Black Oak Trail of Rondeau.

Next is a type of Ramaria, a coral root.

Here is a Ringless Honey Fungus. It grows so close to the ground that I couldn't get any idea of the underside without breaking pieces off.

 

This next one with the bright, colorful cap is a member of the Russula group.

Clearly there are critters in the wild that like feeding on mushrooms, as this slug is doing.

Next is probably another type of puffball, in its early developing stage......

...as it matures, the covering will start to dry and open. It is at this time that a drop of rain, or some other slight disturbance, will result in a little 'puff' of the spores inside to release into the atmosphere, to drift off and find a suitable growing surface, hence the name of puffball.

Some names are quite descriptive. This one is probably a Stinking Orange Oyster......

...as is this one, photographed as late as December 30!

Next shows the upperside of Trametes gibbosa, a type of shelf or bracket fungus.....

...and this is the underside view. It shows little round holes where the spores disperse from, rather than gills of many other types of fungi.

Next is Trametes pubescens.....

....and a species of Tricholomopsis, which due to the hole on the top, shows both the shelf type of form as well as the gills.

Turkey Tail, shown next, is one of the most common members of the Trametes group.

Less common, at least where I have been, is this White Jelly Fungus.....

...and last, but not least for this post, is the quite delicate, but attractive Woolly Oyster Fungus, not common at all in my experience. The upper side has a fuzzy/wooly look....

and this angle shows the gilled underside and the delicate parts of the edge and upperside.

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