Category: Education
Fantastic Fungi? Baudoinia compniacensis (whiskey fungus)
Baudoinia compniacensis (whiskey fungus) is a little-known, recently newsworthy fungus. It’s a crust-like organism that likes humid, warm micro-environments. It grows on a wide variety of substrates, including building walls, road signs, patio furniture, bark, and leaves. It has been found in North America,…
Big Fleas Have Little Fleas
Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite ’em, And little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum. Many of you know about “Zombie Ants” — ants whose bodies and brains are taken over by a Cordyceps fungus. See, for example:…
Rare Fungi Challenge
The Fungal Diversity Survey (FunDIS) has issued an ongoing challenge to find and document West Coast species of rare mushrooms. Many are fall-fruiting species. The ones most likely to be found in Oregon are: There’s a 2-page handout for each of the “Rare 20…
Introduction to Mushrooms, Class 1
Introduction to Mushrooms, Class 1, is now available on demand to OMS Members via the OMS Media Center. Introduction to Mushrooms is OMS’s Beginner Identification Course, created by OMS Education co-chairs Dick Bishop and Sallie Jones. The Course has three Classes. Dick Bishop has created audio-visual…
Can Golf Balls Grow On Trees?
Although they resemble golf balls, this is actually the mushroom Cyttaria darwinii (Darwin’s fungus). Cyttaria darwinii grows in the southern tip of South America. It was collected and described by Charles Darwin. It’s edible and can grow in large quantities, with dozens of mushrooms…
Pucciniales (Rust fungi)
Although Pucciniales (Rust fungi) are tiny — often appearing as just discolorations on leaves — they have some of the largest fungal genomes, with a complicated and fascinating life cycle, and are an important plant pathogen. To learn (a lot) more about them, try…
Know your trees
Many mushrooms, including some of our prime edibles, are associated with particular kinds of trees. The ability to identify trees can help you identify mushrooms and narrow your search for edibles. In order to help OMS members with tree ID, OMS has held specialized…
Morels: Where did they start?
With the start of Morel season, it’s interesting to contemplate where Morels themselves started. Studies published within the last 11 years suggest that Morels originated in North America. A Study published 18 March 2021 reexamines the evidence. There are over 80 Morchella (Morel) species…
A Bolete Story: 50 Years of Macrofungi
A March 12 talk by Roy Halling, a world-renowned bolete expert, has been put online by the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG). Dr. Halling explores some highlights of 50 years of researching boletes and other macrofungi, including photos of some of the species he…
Improve Your ID Skills With Quizzes
It’s tough to improve your mushroom identification skills when there are no mushrooms around and you can’t discuss ID’s in person. One thing that can help is a computerized quiz. Here are two to consider. MycoMatch Quiz MycoMatch (MatchMaker) is a wonderful, free application…