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Fungi and Forests Foray - November 2, 2024

Finding mushrooms in the Coast Range is without a doubt a thrill! But understanding the complex relationships between trees, wildlife, fungi, soil, and climate that led to the mushroom in your basket is empowering knowledge. On this day of exploration, a group of 22 participants led by Lorelle Sherman and Nick Hazelton walked through and explored two different forested habitats with a focus on deepening an understanding of mycorrhizal connections between trees and fungi, and unique symbiotic relationships between wildlife, fungi, and trees.

Fungi and Forest Foray Species List by Lorelle Sherman (November 2, 2024)
Photography courtesy of Jordan Perez and Suzanne Teller

Species observed at first site (industrially managed forest of predominantly Douglas fir):

Russula:
Russula sp 1. Large white cap
Russula sp 2. Small w/ pink cap
Russula sp 3. Small w/ gray cap
Unknown red-blushing Russula (large w/ red-bruising)
Mycenoids:
Lilac Bonnet (Mycena pura group)
Pinkedge Bonnet (Mycena capillaripes)
Yellowleg Bonnet (Mycena epipterygia)
Tangerine Bonnet (Atheniella aurantiidisca)
Scarlet pink Bonnet (Atheniella adonis)
Milky Bonnet (Hemimycena delectabilis)
Mycena sp.
Bolete Family (and associated):
Pondrous Slippery Jack (Suillus ponderosus)
Slimy Spike (Gomphidius glutinosus) **parasitizes Suillus, particularly S. ponderosus)
Xerocomellus atropurpureus
Xerocomellus sp. (Smaller second species, maybe zelleri)
Inocybe-like:
Corn-silk Fibercap (Pseudosperma sororium)
Brown Fibercap (Inocybe hirsuta)​

​​Cantharellus and similar:
Pacific Golden Chanterelle (Cantharellus formosus)
False winter chanterelle (Chrysomphalina chrysophylla) **what we called Craterellus tubaeformis is more likely C. chrysophylla. Winter chants have pale gills and cross veins and the mushroom we had had yellow-orange gills. 
Coral:
White Coral Fungus (Clavulina cristata)
Lepiota:
Flaming parasol (Lepiota flammeotincta **probably)
Helvella:
Western Black Elfin Saddle (Helvella vespertine)
White Saddle (Helvella crispa)
Other:
Anise Clitocybe (Clitocybe fragrans)
Toothed Jelly/Cat’s Tongue (Pseudohydnum gelatinosum)
Cortinarius sp. (w/ webby cortina/partial veil)
Gymnopilus rufescens
Grisette (Amanita spp. **something like Amanita pachycolea - this is a complex species group)
Several unknown species that we didn't try to ID

Species observed at second site (predominantly hardwoods, including bigleaf maple, Oregon ash, red alder and some scattered Douglas fir)

​Inky Cap (Coprinopsis lagopus)
Puffball (Lycoperdon sp.)
Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare)
Conifer Tuft (Hypholoma capnoides)
Corn-silk Fibercap (Pseudosperma sororium)
​Veiled Oyster (Pleurotud dryinus)
Cat’s Tongue (Psuedohydnum gelatinosum)
Birds nest (Crucibulum crucibuliforme **probably)
Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor)
Speckled Tar Spot (Rhytisma punctatum) **on maple leaves
Flaming Parasol (Lepiota rubrotinctoides)
Lepiota sp. **too waterlogged to ID but different
Black-legged Polypore (Polyporus badius)​

​Cortinarius sp. **brown cap with umbo, something like C. obtusus
Cortinarius sp. **large dark brown cap, gills and stipe
Xerocomellus sp. **maybe X. diffractus
Mycena sp. 1 **purple
Mycena sp. 2 **gray
Gymnopus **maybe G. brassicolens
Crepidotus sp. Is more likely (I called this Panellus stipticus in the field)
Little brown mushroom on woodchip w/burst of basal mycelium
Western Black Elfin Saddle (Helvella vespertine)
White Coral Fungus (Clavulina cristata)
​Gymnopilus rufescens (?) **we called this the deadly Galerina in the field, but it may not have actually been a Galerina)

Total number of identified species: 51

Links:

• Fungi in bigleaf maple canopy soil: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00275514.2023.2206930​

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About the Foray Leaders:

Lorelle Sherman

Lorelle is a bird nerd, wild foods forager, and forest ecologist. Foraging for mushrooms and plants for over ten years inspired Lorelle to study the forest ecosystems she was spending her time in. Merging her interests, she now studies the interconnections between forests, fungi, and wildlife. Lorelle studied Wildlife Biology at the University of Vermont and Forest Ecology while at Oregon State University. Today, she serves as the OSU Extension Forester for Benton, Linn, and Polk Counties where she hopes to inspire people to connect with and steward the land.

Nick Hazelton

Nick is a yak and goat rancher on the Luckiamute River. He is part of the 4th generation of a family that emigrated to the Luckiamute Watershed in the early 1900’s, and has lived his whole life on the farm he manages now. Nick’s main passion is connecting people with their food and the land we live on. Understanding the details of the local ecology and how fungi play a role is fascinating to him.