Angel Schatz 5/1/25 Angel Schatz 5/1/25

May Foraging Forecast

Learn wild, edible mushrooms fruiting in Central Texas after rain.

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CHANTERELLE

Cantharellus

DESCRIPTION: Red, orange, yellow to white, meaty and funnel-shaped and can be found in clusters or individual mushrooms. On the lower surface, underneath the smooth cap, most species have rounded, forked folds that run almost all the way down the stipe, which tapers down seamlessly from the cap.

SPORE COLOR: White Yellowish

HABITAT: Symbiotic and found around 5-30 feet of mature live and red oaks after a lot of rain. Chanterelles need a lot of rain to fruit and they like the torrential Texas-style flash floods. Trees near creeks and where water is flowing downhill is very important. Avoid trees that are in areas that are mowed. Trees with undisturbed leaf matter and not many understory plants are ideal.

SIZE: 2-6" height

EDIBILITY: Choice. Many species emit a fruity aroma, reminiscent of apricots, and often have a mildly peppery taste.

LOOK A-LIKE: The Southern Jack-o-lantern, Omphalotus subilludens is the toxic look-a-like and is orange to brown in color. They do grow at the same time but their habitat and morphology is different.

HONEY MUSHROOMS

Desarmillaria, Armillaria species

Honey-colored, dry, scaly to sticky cap, Mellea species has a ring on the stem. Grows in clusters and has gills. Part of a genus that is the largest living organism ever found on this planet.

SPORE COLOR: White

HABITAT: Decaying hard-wood stumps and roots of living trees in the spring and fall after rain.

SIZE: 6"

EDIBILITY: Choice. Many species emit a fruity aroma, reminiscent of apricots, and often have a mildly peppery taste.

Jackson's Slender Caesar

Amanita jacksonii

CAP: Emerges from egg or volva and is oval at first, becoming convex, typically with a central bump; sticky; brilliant red or orange, fading to yellow on the margin; typically without warts or patches; the margin lined for about 40–50% of the cap's radius. The red pigment fades from margin toward the center with age.

GILLS: Moderately crowded to crowded, orange-yellow to yellow-orange to yellow. They are free from the stem or slightly attached to it; yellow to orange-yellow; crowded; not bruising. The short gills are subtruncate to truncate.

STEM: 9-15 cm long; 1-1.5 cm thick; slightly tapering to apex; yellow; with orange to reddish fibers, often in zones; not bruising; with a yellow to orange, skirtlike ring; with a large (4-7 cm high and 4 mm thick), white, sacklike volva.

SPORE COLOR: White

HABITAT: Mycorrhizal with in hardwoods and pines. They are more common in East Texas but they can be found in Central Texas in places like Bastrop

SIZE: 3-4" in height. Caps sometimes open to 6-10”.

EDIBILITY: Choice but not recommended because of toxic look a-likes. The flavor is of hazelnuts and chestnuts.

LOOK A-LIKE: A. muscaria (contains a neurotoxin that can be parboiled out and A. phalloides (fatal).

honeycomb fungus

Favolus

Genus of tropical fungi in the family Polyporaceae but with fleshy with radially arranged pores on the underside of the cap that are angular and deeply pitted, somewhat resembling a honeycomb. White to yellow and grows alone or in overlapping clusters similar to oyster mushrooms or other shelf fungi.

SPORE COLOR: White

HABITAT: On decaying hard-wood, year round when humidity is high after rain.

EDIBILITY: Odor slightly foul, especially in rehydrated material; taste not distinctive. Tough texture and can be cooked like chicharrones.

LOOK A-LIKE: Oysters, Pluerotus or Lentinellus cochleatus (none observed in Texas) but grow on decomposing wood.

Shoehorn Oyster Mushrooms

Hohenbuehelia petaloides

Pale to brown funnel-shaped caps with decurrent gills

SPORES: White

HABITAT: Fruits after rain in mulch or woody debris. Considered carnivorous because it traps nematodes with “sticky knobs” in the mycelium to obtain nitrogen and grow.

EDIBILITY: Edible when cooked but can be tough and mealy

Shoehorn Oyster Mushrooms, Hohenbuehelia petaloides is distinctively shaped; its "petaloid" habit often makes it look like a shoehorn with gills, or a rolled-up funnel. Other identifying features include its fairly crowded whitish gills, a white spore print, mealy odor and taste—and, under the microscope, gorgeous "metuloids" (thick-walled pleurocystidia). It often appears in clusters in urban, semi-urban, or even household settings, and is frequently associated with woody debris (though it does not usually grow directly from dead wood) or cultivated soil. However, it can be found in woodland settings, too, where it tends to grow alone or in small groups.

Because this mushroom grows in wood chips which are a good source of carbon but a terrible source of nitrogen, the fungi needs to make proteins. Both Hohenbuehelia and Pleurotus can supplement their protein needs by trapping and consuming nematodes, which are small flat worms that are very abundant in wood and soil. The fungi have "sticky knobs" on the hyphae that grow through the wood. These sticky knobs attach to curious nematodes as the nematodes attempt to eat the mycelium. The nematode thrashes around and additional parts of its body become stuck. The hyphae then grow into the body of the nematode and digest it, providing the fungus with the nitrogen it needs. That makes these fungi carnivorous!

LOOK A-LIKES: Oysters, Pluerotus or Lentinellus cochleatus (none observed in Texas) but grow on decomposing wood.

WOOD BLEWIT Collybia species, formerly Lepista, Clitocybe

Distinct lilac to purple-pink color
Grows in and decomposes leaf duff
Light pink to white spores
Great in breakfast tacos

As the weather stays cool, look out for the edible Wood Blewit, Collybia nuda or tarda species (formerly Lepista and Clitocybe.) This distinct lavender-colored mushroom is found from fall through spring and fruiting in hardwood leaf duff which is decomposes. Fresh wood blewits are great with eggs in breakfast tacos. As they get older they become more tan and iridescent colored on the cap and taste bitter. I throw the older wood blewits my compost leaf pile because they are such great decomposers and will colonize and grow in hardwood leaf litter.

Look-alikes: Be warned because there are deadly, poisonous look-alikes in the Cortinarius or webcap family that grow in similar conditions. It's important to do a spore print AND also confirm the ID with an expert. The spores of the wood blewit are light pink to white and the spores of Cortinarius mushrooms are rust colored. See our blog post with lots of photos and details to help you identify this mushroom.

OYSTER Pleurotus ostreatus

Color can vary white, tan and gray
White to cream gills, run down stem
Cap fan shaped, 2"-8" across, white spores
Grows in clusters and decomposes hardwood
Delicious meat replacement in all types of cuisines

Look-alikes: Southern Jack-o-lantern, Omphalotus subilludens which is toxic and orange to brown in color.

WOOD EAR: Auricularia species

Grows in clusters on decaying hardwood after rain
Cap is wavy, ear-shaped to irregular, 1-4" and > 1/4" thick
Jelly texture and lacks gills or pores
Produces white spores
Absorbs flavors, great in soups, contains protein, iron, calcium and phosphorus

Edibility: Wood ear mushrooms are a popular ingredient in many Chinese dishes, such as hot and sour soup, and also used in Chinese medicine. It is also used in Ghana, as a blood tonic. Modern research into possible medical applications has variously concluded that wood ear has anti-tumor, hypoglycemic, anticoagulant and cholesterol-lowering properties.

Look-alikes: Amber Jelly, Exidia recisa which is also edible.

TURKEY TAIL Trametes versicolor

Variable coloration, distinct striping pattern
Grows in overlapping clusters on logs and stumps
No gills, pores are small and round, white to light brown
Tough, leathery flesh
Medicinal and can be brewed into a tea, broth, or extracted into a tincture.

Look-alikes: False turkey tail. or Stereum ostrea and is non-toxic. Mushroom Expert has a useful check list to determine if it is true medicinal turkey tail.

Become a member and learn more about wild mushroom foraging in Texas!

Membership benefits include early access and discounts to walks, workshops, and more. Your membership helps support the larger community! Tag us to get help with ID and add your observations to iNaturalist.org. If you are trying a new mushroom, confirm the ID with an expert, then try a small amount to make sure you don't have an allergic reaction. Texas Mushroom Identification Facebook group is great for quick responses and ID help. Also, don't forget to add your finds on the Mushrooms of Texas project on iNaturalist.

Follow my adventures @forage.atx.

Central Texas Mycological Society 4/11/25 Central Texas Mycological Society 4/11/25

What is the Orange Stuff on Mushroom Blocks?

Neurospora crassa, commonly known as orange bread mold, has several potential benefits for soil health, including:

1. Decomposing Organic Matter – As a saprophytic fungus, it helps break down dead plant material, returning nutrients to the soil.

2. Nutrient Cycling – It plays a role in carbon and nitrogen cycling by decomposing organic compounds and making them available for plants and microbes.

3. Mycelial Network Formation – Though not a mycorrhizal fungus, its mycelium contributes to soil structure by improving aeration and water retention.

4. Bioremediation Potential – Some studies suggest Neurospora species can help degrade pollutants and contribute to soil detoxification.

5. Plant Growth Promotion – Certain fungal metabolites may interact with soil microbes, indirectly benefiting plant health.

While it's not as widely studied for soil health as other fungi like mycorrhizae or Trichoderma, Neurospora crassa has unique properties that can support ecological functions in soil ecosystems.

Angel Schatz 4/11/25 Angel Schatz 4/11/25