D.Unfortunately, we're in a pretty deep cold snap and snow for a couple of weeks. I'm itching to get out, but it's a bad time to spot anything new on the ground, and I don't think much will be growing except crust and jelly fungi until the next warm spell. However, I found out a winter mycoblitz was happening and managed to pick and dry a few specimens to send in. I enjoy nature but don't have a science background, so I can only hope I did things properly and that they'll be able to sequence some DNA from them.
The first is an interesting cluster of white waxcap-looking mushrooms that I found growing in leaf litter under hardwoods. My first thought was Hygrophorus eburneus, cowboy's handkerchief, though the tops were merely sticky instead of slimy; or else Hygrophorus sordidus. Perhaps I'm wrong and they're not waxcaps at all, but I really hope DNA will solve the mystery. None of my online mushroom connections seem to have any more confident input.
For the second, I managed to swipe another of the tiny earthstar specimens from under the snow. I hope it's not too old for DNA sampling..other people on iNaturalist think it could be four-rayed earthstar, Geastrum quadrifidum, after all, but we'll see. It's at least fun to give this a try. #nature #fungi #mushroom #mushrooms #mycoblitz #bioblitz #mycology
The first is an interesting cluster of white waxcap-looking mushrooms that I found growing in leaf litter under hardwoods. My first thought was Hygrophorus eburneus, cowboy's handkerchief, though the tops were merely sticky instead of slimy; or else Hygrophorus sordidus. Perhaps I'm wrong and they're not waxcaps at all, but I really hope DNA will solve the mystery. None of my online mushroom connections seem to have any more confident input.
For the second, I managed to swipe another of the tiny earthstar specimens from under the snow. I hope it's not too old for DNA sampling..other people on iNaturalist think it could be four-rayed earthstar, Geastrum quadrifidum, after all, but we'll see. It's at least fun to give this a try. #nature #fungi #mushroom #mushrooms #mycoblitz #bioblitz #mycology
Christy Kelly-Bisson