Hello! I'm back with another collection of fascinating fungi found in the forests of Western Michigan, USA. Over the last couple of days, I've come across a wonderful selection of autumn fungi, some vibrant and bright and others dull and unassuming.
My recent trips into the woods have unearthed quite a few brightly colored species ranging in hue from blue to green to bright yellow, colors that stand out amongst the multitude of tan-brown fungi that call these woods their home. Some of my favorite finds from the last few days include the Indigo Milk Caps (Lactarius indigo), Parrot Mushroom (Gliophorus psittacinus), Green Wood Cup (Chlorociboria aeruginascens), Late Oyster (Sarcomyxa serotina), and the Common Bird's Nest Fungus (Crucibulum laeve).
The diversity of colors and fungal forms that I encountered over the last few days have been a reminder to me that the world of fungi is a vast, poorly understood, and underappreciated Kingdom of life that deserves greater study and attention. Without these flamboyant residents of the forest (and the many others that lay dormant beneath the surface), the woods that I enjoy exploring so much would never have come to exist. Without networks of mycelium to transport water and nutrients, anchor soils, and recycle detritus, the woods that I hold so dear would cease to exist. Trees would soon die without their commensalist fungal partners and dead wood would heap in in ruinous piles that would prove too difficult to break down for almost all other forms of life.
Regardless of their form, whether it be a common cap and stem mushroom, a petite cup, or a gelatinous mass, please take some time on your next stroll through the woods to appreciate the ecological importance of the Kingdom Fungi. Virtually all plants rely of some form of fungal life to acquire nutrients in life, and all rely on them in death to recycle their materials back into the ecosystem as soil. Fungi are not only a beautiful expression of life on this planet: they are a necessary one.
I hope that you enjoy these pictures of fungi I have found over the last few days in the woods of Michigan, USA! As always, feel free to offer your suggestions if you believe I have misidentified any of the species shown below.
Amber Jelly Fungus (Exidia recisa):
Common Bird's Nest Fungus (Crucibulum laeve):
Trembling Crust (Merulius tremellosus):
Common Bonnet (Mycena galericulata):
American Yellow Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria var. guessowii):
Indigo Milk Cap (Lactarius indigo):
Late Oyster (Sarcomyxa serotina):
Resinous Polypore (Ischnoderma resinosum):
Parrot Mushroom (Gliophorus psittacinus):
Blewit (Lepista nuda):
Green Wood Cup (Chlorociboria aeruginascens):
Orange Jelly Spot (Dacrymyces chrysospermus):
Yellow Fairy Cups (Calycina citrina):
Gymnopilus luteus:
Neofavolus americanus:
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