mushrooms, mosses and lichens (some to ID) from our hikes, home and other places in the Ozarks

These first pictures are ones we saw yesterday.  There were a lot of pine trees down but we only saw it on the ones that had landed up off the ground and had fairly solid wood still.  Beautiful color and odd fuzzy surface.

If anyone knows the area, these were along one of the Sylamore Creek trails from Blanchard to Gunner Pool.

I was able to get an ID on an Arkansas Mushroom ID facebook page.  This one is Phyllotopsis nidulans, common name 'orange mock oyster'.  Not at all edible, spore print should be pink! and apparently they usually stink.  Non toxic but inedible.

https://www.mushroomexpert.com/phyllotopsis_nidulans.html

This beautiful but often stinky mushroom is orange from head to toe, and densely hairy on the cap surface. It grows in shelf-like clusters on the deadwood of hardwoods and conifers across North America.

These we saw on a hike in November along the Buffalo River.  
I looked at the flip side but did not take a picture.  There were no gills just folds and they were extremely floppy and rubbery.
I think a wood ear? and edible? yes and yes

Got an ID.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auricularia_fuscosuccinea  Auricularia fuscosuccinea   Edible.
or this? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auricularia_auricula-judae

or maybe the same as these in a thread I began a few years ago  tree ears auricularia auricula 'brown ear fungus'   tree ears 'brown ear fungus'.....does anyone eat them?

These I am fairly certain are all turkey tails...although some are older than others and I read that the greenish tinge is from algae?

Different hikes but all during November and December either on the Buffalo River Trails or Sylamore Creek Trails.

Positive ID from Arkansas Mushrooms and Fungi  is Trametes versicolor. turkey tail

These have been positively ID'd as Lycoperdon pyriforme  'stump puff balls' or my favorite common name 'wolf farts'
Apparently at their prime they are white not brown so even though the flesh of these was still white we did not collect any.
Lycoperdon pyriforme

They were along the Tyler Bend outer loop, at the part of the trail called  'the Rock Wall Trail' at the Buffalo River in mid November.

This one I'm uncertain of...on an old pine stump in the front yard in mid October this year.  

It looks most like a red belted polypore but I don't think they grow here?

I'll leave it with the Arkansas Mushrooms and Fungi site in the morning.

EDIT:link to my post below in this thread with further information

FURTHER EDIT: this one I think and it grows on pine... https://mushroomobserver.org/observations?pattern=Ganoderma+curtisii+
Apparently it is a reishi and has that medicinal value.  I feel certain it belongs to the Ganoderma genus at least?

Great pictures!

This one I'm learning more about and it's usefulness as a medicinal.
Bearded Lichen (Usnea longissima Ach.), old man's beard, is a lichen growing mostly on cedars in our area. https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/usnea_longissima.shtml  
We only gather a small amount of wind blown, down to the ground pieces...pick out the parts that are not the lichen and either dry and store for a 'wound powder' or make a tincture as I explained and illustrated in this thread starting here https://permies.com/t/624/kitchen/Usnea#806409


Bearded Lichen (Usnea longissima Ach.), old man's beard

link to my post below with detail photos of the strands/core and branching

Judith Browning wrote:This one I'm uncertain of...on an old pine stump in the front yard in mid October this year.  

It looks most like a red belted polypore but I don't think they grow here?

I'll leave it with the Arkansas Mushrooms and Fungi site in the morning.

The Mushroom site suggested it is Ganoderma curtisii and it looks like it...there are a lot of variations.
EDIT: this one is closer I think and grows on pine... Ganoderma curtisii f. meredithiae
Apparently it is a reishi and has that medicinal value.  I feel certain it belongs to the Ganoderma genus at least?

Ganoderma is a large and diverse, globally distributed genus of wood decay fungi that includes species that cause white rot on a variety of tree species. In addition, practitioners of Eastern traditional medicine have prescribed the use of laccate (shiny) Ganoderma species, commonly referred to as “reishi” or “lingzhi,” as a preventative anti-inflammatory treatment or to enhance immunity  

(repeating one of my photos from above)
I'm not positive about the ID. This is a video about G. curtisii and he says they grow on hardwood trees and stumps. Ours was on a very large yellow pine stump.  Color and other characteristics very much the same though.

I'm collecting all my fungi threads here as I find them...

These are both summer mushrooms and we've moved from where we used to find them both on our land...they are delicious!   harvesting and eating chanterelle (c. cibarius) and smooth chanterelle (c. lateritius)

and these beauties red chanterelles...cantharellus cinnabarinus

Another summer mushroom from our old place here in the Ozarks.
Such a beautiful blue.  It is edible and I could not bring myself to eat it
Here's the link to my thread about them...
indigo milkcap Lactarius indigo

indigo milkcap Lactarius indigo

We grew these for years and now we don't.  Our sons do though
One has a band saw mill and both have plenty of logs available.
The thread in this link is back when we were growing them.....
SHIITAKE

Wayne Mackenzie wrote:Great pictures!

thank you Wayne!
My camera is getting kind of rough and persnickety.
I have to hold it just right so the sun doesn't reflect on the lens scratches and I just keep it on auto most of the time and do some cropping, etc. later.
I've gotten used to having it along on all of our hikes and feel a little lost without it

Your green hair lichen photos are likely Alectoria Sarmentosa.  You'd need a close-up of the lichen body to know for sure.  If it's a true hair lichen, it's A. sarmentosa.  If it's got a single stalk/root anchoring it to the wood, it's a variety of Usnea.  The root of Usnea will have a white elastic cord running through it if you pull it apart.  Alectoria is a hair lichen with no root or stalk at its origination.  Both are identical in color and often very similar in appearance.

Jen Fan wrote:Your green hair lichen photos are likely Alectoria Sarmentosa.  You'd need a close-up of the lichen body to know for sure.  If it's a true hair lichen, it's A. sarmentosa.  If it's got a single stalk/root anchoring it to the wood, it's a variety of Usnea.  The root of Usnea will have a white elastic cord running through it if you pull it apart.  Alectoria is a hair lichen with no root or stalk at its origination.  Both are identical in color and often very similar in appearance.

Thank you Jen!  I did not get any further confirmation on that one and it looks like I should have.  It has always been called 'old man's beard' here...even by the park.  So I assumed it was Usnea.
Early on I did check for the stretchy white part and need to find some fresh to check that out again and read up more on them both.  

EDIT: I'll try to get some pictures later but just now spreading out some of the dried lichen I gathered I'm back to thinking it's usnea.  It has a central, white, elastic cord running through each strand which according to this https://www.blm.gov/or/plans/surveyandmanage/files/sfs-li-usnea-longissima-2006.pdf is diagnostic

Identification Tips Usnea longissima is one of the most easily recognizable lichens. All Usneaspecies have a characteristic central axis, appearing like an elastic cord or cylindric rubber band in the center of the lichen thallus, which is surrounded by medulla and outer cortex. Other similar fruticose pendant genera, such as Alectoria and Ramalina, lack the diagnostic central cord of Usnea species.

Judith Browning wrote:

Jen Fan wrote:Your green hair lichen photos are likely Alectoria Sarmentosa.  You'd need a close-up of the lichen body to know for sure.  If it's a true hair lichen, it's A. sarmentosa.  If it's got a single stalk/root anchoring it to the wood, it's a variety of Usnea.  The root of Usnea will have a white elastic cord running through it if you pull it apart.  Alectoria is a hair lichen with no root or stalk at its origination.  Both are identical in color and often very similar in appearance.

Thank you Jen!  I did not get any further confirmation on that one and it looks like I should have.  It has always been called 'old man's beard' here...even by the park.  So I assumed it was Usnea.
Early on I did check for the stretchy white part and need to find some fresh to check that out again and read up more on them both.  
I suspect you are correct and I've misidentified that one.

EDIT: I'll try to get some pictures later but just now spreading out some of the dried lichen I gathered I'm back to thinking it's usnea.  It has a central, white, elastic cord running through each strand which according to this https://www.blm.gov/or/plans/surveyandmanage/files/sfs-li-usnea-longissima-2006.pdf is diagnostic

Identification Tips Usnea longissima is one of the most easily recognizable lichens. All Usneaspecies have a characteristic central axis, appearing like an elastic cord or cylindric rubber band in the center of the lichen thallus, which is surrounded by medulla and outer cortex. Other similar fruticose pendant genera, such as Alectoria and Ramalina, lack the diagnostic central cord of Usnea species.

Here's a picture of some strands of what I've been calling 'usnea'.  These are very dry, but when fresh the 'core' is stretchy.   I'll try for a better scan when I have some fresh lichen and a piece of black paper for back ground.

I'm more certain about the Bearded Lichen (Usnea longissima Ach.) ID after finding some more windfalls and checking again for the stretchy core and side branching.  I've also posted some photos with a Mushroom and Fungi group for some confirmation.
Here are some pictures from a piece of windfall on the trail yesterday.  I could not find a plain background anywhere close and later realized I could have used my jacket...next time

This moss (tiny fern?) was along the Tyler Bend outer loop trail yesterday.  We think that the last time we passed it, early december, that it did not have those fern like leaves?  I thought I had some photos from back then but apparently not.

Any moss and fern experts out there?

...or do you know of a site that might ID them for me?

EDIT  December 31...I'm fairly certain now that this is Common Fern Moss Thuidium delicatulum

Judith,

Those are some very nice pictures and you certainly have a much more sophisticated knowledge of mushrooms and fungi than I do.  Really, these are some beautiful pictures—I especially loved the turkey tails!  I have this piece of pie just laying around and I don’t like to give those unless something really deserves it.  This whole thread really deserves a piece of pie so I am giving my slice to you.  Please keep taking great pictures and keep this thread going.

Eric

Eric Hanson wrote:Judith,

Those are some very nice pictures and you certainly have a much more sophisticated knowledge of mushrooms and fungi than I do.  Really, these are some beautiful pictures—I especially loved the turkey tails!  I have this piece of pie just laying around and I don’t like to give those unless something really deserves it.  This whole thread really deserves a piece of pie so I am giving my slice to you.  Please keep taking great pictures and keep this thread going.

Eric

Thank you Eric!
I'm enjoying myself I feel like I finally have the opportunity to focus on this sort of thing.
When the kids were growing up and later as mom's caregiver it didn't seem like I had the time to learn and make use of more than a few random medicinal plants and fungi.

So much left to explore!

Judith,

I am really just getting into mushrooms.  I am pretty good at wine caps and would like to give blue oysters a whirl, but those are just training wheels for mushrooms.  Mostly I want the compost, but getting some tasty mushrooms are great as well.

In my mind, edible mushrooms are one thing.  I really know absolutely nothing about medicinal mushrooms.  What medicine do they provide?  What diseases or disorders does it treat?  I am curious to know.

Eric

What medicine do they provide?  What diseases or disorders does it treat?  

Here's a quick bit about just a few...lots of in depth information on line
Turkey Tail, first with a proper ID,

...is a medicinal mushroom with an impressive range of benefits. It contains a variety of powerful antioxidants and other compounds that may help boost your immune system and even help fight certain cancers. Plus, turkey tail may improve gut bacteria balance, which can positively impact your immunity.

5 Immune-Boosting Benefits of Turkey Tail Mushroom

One of the mushrooms I've picture above is likely to be Ganoderma curtisii and if so is one of the reishi mushrooms

Species of Ganoderma, commonly called reishi (in Japan) or lingzhi (in China), have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years, and their use has gained interest from pharmaceutical industries in recent years

https://mushroomobserver.org/394773

and then there's usnea, also pictured above where I have a link to a thread about usnea that I posted about making a tincture with it...

Usnea is a lichen( an algae fungus combination) and it is antimicrobial, antibacterial, vulnerary and antifungal. Uses: Known to help staph infections, heal wounds, respiratory issues, allergy symptoms, sore throat, fungal infections, urinary infections, sinus infections, vaginal infections, the list goes on and on!!!

Most edible fungi are good for us in the 'food is medicine' sense but some have super powers!

Nature's pharmacy is available for us once we learn to identify these things

Judith Browning wrote:This moss (tiny fern?) was along the Tyler Bend outer loop trail yesterday.  We think that the last time we passed it, early december, that it did not have those fern like leaves?  I thought I had some photos from back then but apparently not.

Any moss and fern experts out there?

...or do you know of a site that might ID them for me?

those look like young sphagnum moss. as they get older they will grow longer and thicker.

steve bossie wrote:

Judith Browning wrote:This moss (tiny fern?) was along the Tyler Bend outer loop trail yesterday.  We think that the last time we passed it, early december, that it did not have those fern like leaves?  I thought I had some photos from back then but apparently not.

Any moss and fern experts out there?

...or do you know of a site that might ID them for me?

those look like young sphagnum moss. as they get older they will grow longer and thicker.

thank you Steve.  It does look similar but the leaves up close are different.  I wish I could get a more detail close up with my camera.

I'm leaning towards a fern moss, that also looks similar and has a closer leaf pattern....still searching
and I'll have to check these again in a couple weeks to see what they look like then.

I think mosses and ferns and lichens are particularly difficult to ID.

yes. could be. they look very similar when small.

I think we missed a meal by a week...we usually walk this trail in reverse and near the end we are tired and watching our steps rather than the scenery...pretty sure they would have been prime on our last hike.  I'm certain they are an oyster mushroom but not certain of the variety and because we saw them at the beginning of a long hike I didn't try to bring any home for a spore print.  Have posted them at the Arkansas Mushroom ID site.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleurotus

EDIT  just got a positive ID from the Arkansas Mushroom site...now I really wish I had tried to pack a few out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleurotus_ostreatus

This is usnea strigosa, beard lichen.
Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria

We are seeing a lot of 'tufts' of this one on the ground along the trails we are hiking.  I have not been gathering any though as I already have a usnea tincture and some dried on hand.

It is somewhat rare and a sensitive indicator to air quality so only gather fallen bits if at all.

The fourth photo has what I think is Perforated ruffle lichen and another one or two that I do not know.

I'm just beginning to learn some lichens...they stand out so beautifully in the winter.

For lack of a known name and ID's, I am grouping some 'grey green' lichens here.  They are hard for me to get a detailed photo of with my camera and lack of skill but have been able to bring out some detail with cropping and 'adjustments' on my computer.
This site looks helpful for identifying them Lichens of the Ozarks
I'll come back and fill in the description when I've confirmed some ID's

We found some more oyster mushrooms on our New Year's hike yesterday! and got better photos of the underside...one of the distinguishing features is that the gills run down onto the stem, although sometimes there is no stem.  
Pleurotus ostreatus

mushroom observer

General Description:

Pileus: 5-25 cm broad, fan or oyster-shaped; Natural specimens range from white to gray or tan to dark-brown; margin inrolled when young, smooth and often somewhat lobed or wavy. Flesh white, firm, varies in thickness due to stipe arrangement.
Lamellae: Gills are white to cream, descend stalk if present. If so, stipe off-center with lateral attachment to wood.
Spores: The spores form a white to lilac-gray print on dark media. Spores 7.5-9 × 3.5-4.5 µm, smooth, elliptical, nonamyloid.
Stipe: Often absent. When present it is short and thick.
Taste: Mild
Odor: Often has a mild scent of anise.

Judith,

Those are just beautiful pictures.  While am sure that I have these around me, you have the eye for finding them and an excellent eye for getting those images.

Beautiful,

Eric

Eric Hanson wrote:Judith,

Those are just beautiful pictures.  While am sure that I have these around me, you have the eye for finding them and an excellent eye for getting those images.

Beautiful,

Eric

thank you Eric...
Yesterday was an exceptional hike all around....an eagle flew in front of our car for a bit of the drive there and then once we started the climb we saw that there had been a controlled burn a few weeks before so the landscape looked weirdly different...rocks and the terrain showed up more clearly than usual.

We had hiked a bit farther than we normally do, mostly down hill at the end and just after I said something about how I was going to be complaining on the way back up the mountain I saw the oysters on a small stump back in some briars and had a bit of an attitude adjustment.  We just paced it slow climbing back up, watching the ground mostly except I happened to look up at just the right moment to catch another tree full of oysters

I think if you once find some you'll see them everywhere...I used to do that with morels. I would study pictures in the book so their image was imprinted on my brain...it helped quite a lot.

I usually learn one at a time...one year I was obsessed with chanterelles and now I feel pretty confident to ID them.
Now, besides the oyster mushrooms, I'm becoming interested in knowing the names of the lichens that we see, especially any medicinals....maybe next year I'll move on to ferns.....I think they call this Attention Deficit Disorder

I'm several hikes behind posting fungi...
This was from yesterday...a foggy cold start to our hike and halfway through sixties and clear skies...beautiful as so many winter days are in the Ozarks

No ID on this one yet...I'll label when I get a positive one. This one is POISONOUS!!!

EDIT...and it is most likely this one Galerina marginata

POISONOUS!!!

 An extremely poisonous species, it contains the same deadly amatoxins found in the death cap (Amanita phalloides). Ingestion in toxic amounts causes severe liver damage with vomiting, diarrhea, hypothermia, and eventual death if not treated rapidly.

And an easy guideline to follow is to just stay away from the "Little Brown Mushrooms" or  "LBM's" for short as the fungi folks say There are so many of them, looking so similar and too many are quite poisonous as this one is.

My interest at the moment is learning names of not just edibles but seasonal fungi in the Ozarks.

More oysters!

another bracket fungus? I don't have an ID for this one yet.  
Underside photos aren't so good but do show pores.

EDIT...just that quick the Arkansas Mushrooms and Fungi Group expert says it's likely Fuscoporia gilva

...another bracket with no ID as of yet.

Lots of shield lichens...no certain ID's and I don't want to label and have them floating around cyber space mislabeled when someone does a search for one...so for now, anyway, the photos are not labeled  

More Phyllotopsis nidulans...not edible, just beautifully brilliant in the winter woods...these were on a standing dead pine.  They were much brighter orange than the ones in my first post, I think because they are older but maybe other factors.
Ozark Highland Trail


https://www.mushroomexpert.com/phyllotopsis_nidulans.html

I'm so jealous, All the pictures are beautiful and interesting.  My wood chip have very few small whitish mushrooms and stuff that looks like yellow barf.