The Shroom Room

Oftentimes we can get so caught up in looking where we're going, that we forget to look up. I am especially guilty of this, as I'm always on the lookout for fungi, scanning the sides of paths and fallen logs everywhere I go. It's quite easy to forget that trees are very tall, and that fungi can be found at many heights. It's a good job I looked up when I was standing beneath a cluster of Variable Oysterlings , or Crepidotus variabilis. They were growing off a twig on a dead tree. Oysterlings are unlike any other fungi I've seen, as they generally don't have stems and from below look like little circles. From above, they are a kidney shape. They are relatively common and can be found growing in large groups from late summer to winter. Characteristics Habitat:  On dead twigs and other decaying material, including at the base of hedgerows. Cap:  0.5-2cm across, kidney-shaped. White in colour. Stem: No stem. Gills:  Moderately crowded, radiatin

I am perhaps one of the few people who, upon hearing it was going to rain all day today, jumped for joy. My husband and I had planned to go for a walk through the woods today as soon as we heard it was going to rain. What better way to celebrate the start of mushroom season than by looking for them in prime conditions? We weren't disappointed either, as we found many species poking through the woodland, including the Collared Parachute , or Marasmius rotala. These babies are even smaller than the Twig Parachutes that I wrote about a few weeks ago , so it's a miracle I even noticed them. Luckily, their distinctive white caps, though tiny, stood out amongst the greenery. There were quite a few groups of them growing on fallen twigs. Despite their small size, Collared Parachutes tend to have extremely long stems, some of which reach the length of 7cm. Needless to say, they are extremely fragile. They get their name from the way their gills attach. While most mushr