our fungus hunt!

this forum renewed my fascination with fungi and prompted us to go on a fungus hunt! very fun for my daughter and some really cool finds.....if anybody can identify them that would be great especially.....the only really bizarre one....it is the little pink/orange finger one. I think that is a mushroom of some sort but I couldn't find anything resembling it as far as an identification goes. I sure as heck don't know what else it could be other then some type of fungi.

these little ball mushrooms just seem to litter the ground in some areas.



it appears this one has seen better days. there were several more nearby that were somewhat more intact but this one looked the coolest  because of the colors:lol:


this one seems like a big fluffy bean bag chair. daughter thinks it must house fairies.....



this is the freaky pink finger looking one........hereby known as the "funky fungus" according to dd.



I almost missed these guys peeking out from under a bit of bark.



this little guys were like hair growing on a fallen log. cool.



these look like eggs to me.



daughter is sure this is "fairy habitat" 



this one was neat also.



my co-fun-gal hunter.

What great pictures.... especially the little sprout at the end ♥

thanks! a big polka dot mushroom growing on a log...the weirdest of all the ones I found  she insisted that she have her picture up too. I guess she doesn't want me to get all the credit!

I really hope someone comes along that can identify that weird one......the pink finger one, not the polka dot one!

What a cute little mushroom fairy! 

Leah Sattler wrote:
thanks! a big polka dot mushroom growing on a log...the weirdest of all the ones I found  she insisted that she have her picture up too. I guess she doesn't want me to get all the credit!

I really hope someone comes along that can identify that weird one......the pink finger one, not the polka dot one!

Not sure - it's easier if you have samples of different ages to compare - but maybe look under "Stinkhorns?"

There's a couple good sites online with keys,
www.mushroomexpert.com is one I use,
also americanmushrooms.com

and they have links to other sites (a lot of them refer to each other's pictures, because a good picture showing several stages of growth, in its original habitat, is invaluable.)

It could also be a saprophytic plant.
Now I have proven myself an armchair researcher by the shotgun approach, maybe some actual mycologists will come show us how it's done.

Thanks for the cool pictures.

probably that "pink finger" mushroom is a Mutinus caninus or elegans (not comestible), or someone else from the family Phallaceae. My reference book "Tutto Funghi" di Guido Stecchi gives a brief description of both. I think I never saw such finger mushrooms in the open but the others yes, at least similiar to them, well of course except for the cute mushroom fairy. I also enjoy watching the different kinds of mushrooms, some of which I probably am able to identify with the help of a book, but it does not really matter, as long as I am sure the porcino (Boletus edulis) I chance upon in my autumn walks is a real porcino.
Nice photos anyway, and have a nice mushroom hunting!