Incidental mushrooms

[urbpan]

A Big Important Inspection is happening soon, so we're cleaning places that haven't had much attention lately. My volunteer and I raked behind the zoo hospital to get rid of some debris when I came across this wonderful sight!


This is the biggest bloom of dead man's fingers I've seen in a long while. These are produced by the fungus Xylaria polymorpha. This is the first time I've seen them growing from the stump of this Ailanthus tree.


In the same area I found this lawn chair, unused by humans for some time, but clearly important to some squirrel. A gray squirrel or perhaps a chipmunk has been perching on the chair opening red oak acorns for months but in the past few days has found a new treasure. The red tubes on this bolete mushroom are an indication that humans should avoid eating it, but the rodent didn't get the memo and took a few bites.

Comments

[elainetyger.livejournal.com]

Would it die from eating that?

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I doubt it. Pretty often I see squirrels nibbling mushrooms that I wouldn't eat on a bet.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

A quick look in my newest mushroom book says it's probably Boletus subluridellus, "Edibility suspect, best avoided."

Gary Lincoff's guide says "This common bolete is probably poisonous. There are several other similarly colored boletes but they either have a netted pattern of veins on the stalk or lack the dark red hairs at the base of the stalk. Orange- to red- pored boletes occur throughout North America. None should be eaten.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

and depends on the mode of poisoning? anywhere from trip to upset stomach to liver shutdown? and worse! mutant squirrels!

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