I went for a short walk on a new trail near me last week. I had my eyes open for mushrooms.
The trail goes through several different types of woodland.
The trail is in southern Addison County, Vermont or more generally central, western Vermont.
I am a rookie forager and rookie fungi lover.
These mushrooms looked a bit more promising.
A bit past their prime but these appear to be oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus).
I gathered a few and started back. Since I don't have much experience foraging, I took them by an experience forager friend. He confirmed they were oyster. I also have read about using spore print to help identify mushrooms.
To create a spore print, you need to collect the spore on a surface with good contrast. I used black construction paper. Next place the mushroom spore side down and cover. I used a glass dish over the mushroom. Now just wait. Recommended wait is from 2 hours to 24 hours. I was a bit impatient and only waited 2 hours. You can read about making a spore print at this site.
https://namyco.org/how_to_spore_prints.php#:~:text=Put%20a%20drop%20of%20water,making%20a%20spore%20print%20pattern.
The mushroom is flipped over in the photos so you can compare the print to the gills. Obviously it is gill side down to collect the spores π The spore print should be white to lilac-gray for oyster mushrooms.
These photos also give a better look at the gills. "Oyster mushrooms have decurrent gills. This means theyβre attached to the stem and run most of the way down it." - https://grocycle.com/oyster-mushrooms-guide
We sauteed a few of the younger mushrooms and made a nice omelete. Thats kind of a tradition for us when trying out our first batch of a new type of foraged mushrooms.
I had a fun time making my first spore print. Hope you enjoyed my post π
I did enjoy it! π thanx for sharing!
Thanks for checking it out. I have a mushroom field guide now too π I can start trying to identify some of the other mushrooms I find.
May I suggest you a few handy books in pdf format?..
Yes of course lol but don't worry this was a gift haha
here is the link [ x ] @riverflows, you might intrested too?
Thanks! I have already shared with another friend π
"Sharing is caring" (c) π
The link didn't work for me...
sadly. it is working. statistics of downloads: one....
Spore printing is a must for trying out new mushrooms. That top mushroom looks interesting I wonder if it might turn into a red belted polypore.
I know where it lives lol. I can keep an eye on it. Thanks for checking out my post π
Huh such thick ones in Spring time? Is that normal for there or has it been extremely moisty?
We have had lots of rain. I don't know how normal it is. I have only lived here for less than one year. Thanks for checking out my post :)
Yay! π€
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