Tiny mushrooms can be so easy to overlook. But they can be charming, or intriguing, if we take the time to look at them from all angles. Here's a tip of the cap to the tiny fungi!
I found these little mushrooms under my English Walnut tree last spring. Such a small, delicate mushroom. I got excited. Mycena? Likely. Could it be Mycena luteopallens, the mushroom that specifically decomposes the remains of walnut shells? That would be sweet. But a definitive identification would take a microscope.
Then I showed my pictures to a friend.They prompted me to look at an alternative, the genus Bolbitius. Sure enough, they were right. The important piece of information was what the mushroom was growing on. As the group photo shows, the mushrooms are rising out of a pile of grass straw under my walnut tree - not off of a pile of walnut shells.
Now I know these small frail yellow mushrooms with the striated cap as Bolbitius titubans. They have also been called B. vitenellus. In the massive mushroom reference manual, "Mushrooms Demystified", David Auorora lists their edibility as "Harmless, but fleshless and flavorless". I haven't tried them - they are small!
In the movies, mistaken identification often results in tragedy or humorous hijinks. In the case of these mushrooms, neither was in the plot. But maybe someday I will find my Mycena luteopallens with its life partner, rotting walnut shells!
What Do You Think?
Have you experienced a mistaken mushroom identity? What's your favorite mushroom identification reference? Do you have someone who can help you identify mysterious mushrooms? I want to hear from you!
I write about foraging because I believe that we can all have lives that are richer, more secure, more grounded, and more interesting by getting to know the plants and the land around us – in our yards, our parks, and our wilderness.
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I have many, many mushroom pics taken in my local area. And I can positively identify exactly 0. Thanks for sharing this. You always provide so much useful info!
I've used MMI a few times, but it does not contain many of the specimens I have "captured". Mycology is so fascinating :)
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Thanks! It can be hard to get started identifying mushrooms. They are around, in good condition, for such a short amount of time - sometimes less than a day. And some of the small mushrooms, especially the "Little Brown Mushrooms", can be so difficult, even with a good manual.
Thanks for the link to the MMI. That is an interesting way to identify mushrooms. There are a number of phone apps that use this same approach. It's a different approach than using a key. It would be worth a post or two or three to compare the approach of MMI and identification keys. Thanks for the idea and the link!
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In my opinion, the MMI, can be informative, despite its limitations, especially for the unfamiliar layperson. I foresee a future acquisition of more myco information sources - I love learning!
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And with mycology, there is no end to the learning! Folks are finding out so much new about how fungi live, how they are related to each other, how they interact with trees and other parts of their environment, different uses like pollution remediation. It's amazing! Here's to fun with fungi! : )
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