Check out the real Turkey Tail and the imposters! And find out who won $2 SBD in last week's foraging mystery! Thanks, @ewkaw, for hosting @fungi-friday. There are so many great mushrooms out there. Fungi are fun!

Which one of these is the real Turkey Tail?

I found all these in my yard the other day. Three are different kinds of mushrooms and one is a feather. I see so many folks calling something a Turkey Tail when it really isn't. So I made a Foraging Mystery quick quiz contest to see who knows their Turkey Tails from some common imposters.

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Which is the Real Turkey Tail?

The Feather - From a Real Turkey, But Not a Tail Feather

Let's start with the feather. It really is from a Wild Turkey, but it's not a tail feather. For the first time since I've lived here, a flock of wild turkeys came into my yard. They left a lot of feathers and droppings behind, but no tail feathers. I think this feather is from a bird's chest, because the base of the feather is so downy and fluffy.

Wild turkeys! These are from another part of the town where I live. These birds are not shy -- they walk down the street and into every yard! Here's a great example of what you can make with wild turkey feathers by @rebeccaryan. That post features real Turkey Tail feathers!

Now let's go to the mushrooms. Here's a photo of the same mushrooms, in the same arrangement. But I've turned them over so you can see the underside of their caps. Every one is different! That's one of the cool things about the small bracket fungus that grow on trees - the underside can be so different! And these three aren't even all of the different kinds of patterns underneath! I'll show more in future posts -- maybe as part of another mystery quiz! :D

Look at how different these same mushrooms look, underneath their caps. I just turned the mushrooms over, without changing the arrangement. So which one is the real Turkey Tail now?

The One in the Middle - The Split Gill Mushroom, Schizophyllum commune

I just recently started paying attention to this mushroom. I've seen it for years, but hadn't made the effort to know it. But then @fabulousfungi made a post about this little mushroom, citing sources that say it's a prized food source in some regions. I've been doing more research, too. I'll make a post about eating this myself sometime!

Those gills underneath make it clear that this is the Split Gill mushroom, not a Turkey Tail. See how each gill has a line splitting it lenghtwise? It's easy to see how this mushroom got its common name. And the Schizo part of its scientific name - Schizophyllum commune - means split, too.

The One on the Right - The Purplepore Bracket Fungus - Trichaptum abietinum

What a mess on the underside of this mushroom cap! There are pores, but they have irregular shapes. And some start falling apart so they look more like teeth hanging down. It changes its looks as it ages and is more brightly colored when it's actively growing. In my experience, it loses color fast when it's been picked. Without knowing where it was growing, it can be hard to tell from the Violet-toothed Polypore, Trichaptum biforme. The Purplepore grows on conifers, but the Violet-Tooth grows on deciduous trees.

The jaggedy mess of pores and teeth mean this is not a real Turkey Tail, for sure! But it still has uses -- I'll let you know more in a future post.

The One on the Left - The Turkey Tail Mushroom - Trametes versicolor

Yep, this bright white underside and the little pores make it easy to tell that this is a real Turkey Tail. In the Pacific Northwest, we have several different kinds of Turkey Tails with different density of pores in a given area, different levels of furriness on the top of the mushroom, and different thickness of the whole mushroom. But this one is the real-deal Turkey Tail known in many parts of the world, Trametes versicolor.

These pores underneath the cap mean it's one of the real Turkey Tails. I like to chew on it like gum, mushroom-flavored, when I find it on a hike or working around my yard. It's good for tea, too! That's how @chefsteve uses Turkey Tails. Stay tuned for more about enjoying Turkey Tails!

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The Winners!

I want to thank everyone who took part in my foraging mystery quiz! I appreciate all of you taking the time to leave a comment! Of the 18 people who left a comment, 11 had a correct answer. The randomly selected winner was @progressivechef. Congratulations on winning the $2 SBD! Check your wallet!

And @chefsteve let us all know that he uses Turkey Tail mushrooms to make tea. He's able to buy it in his local market -- that's great! For sharing that, he wins $1 SBD! Thanks, @chefsteve, and check your wallet!

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Stay Tuned for More Turkey Tail Talk!

There are other mushrooms that look like Turkey Tails, too. They are more tricky, I think, than the imposters in this mystery foraging quiz. I'll be sharing more about all these mushrooms and how I use them. So I hope to see you and your comments in those posts.

I appreciate and enjoy getting to know people here on Steemit. I hope you are getting out to enjoy nature in your neighborhood or other interesting places.

I try to make content that's interesting! If you found this interesting or helpful, please give it an upvote and a resteem!

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Plant and Animal List

• Wild Turkey - Meleagris gallopavo
• Split Gill Mushroom - Schizophyllum commune
• Purplepore Bracket Fungus - Trichaptum abietinum
• Turkey Tail Mushroom - Trametes versicolor

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Haphazard Homestead

foraging, gardening, nature, simple living close to the land
All content is 100% Haphazard Homestead!My YouTube channel: Haphazard Homestead