About 25 people choose to get outside and join us hunting for bargains mushrooms on Black Friday. The weather has been unseasonably warm and we were hoping to find a few gilled mushrooms as well as crusts and jellies. We were greeted with a small crop of Agaricus arvensis, Horse Mushrooms, growing in the grass right at the meeting point so it was looking good. Once we were in the forest we found an abundance of species from the very small to larger specimens. There were a number of seasonable edibles about too along with the poisonous Galerina marginata Deadly galerina.

Highlight of the day was the Chlorociboria aeruginascens (Blue-green Stain). We normally find the stained wood but today we found the fruiting body. The smallest identified species was Dacrymyces minor, tiny 1mm diameter yellow jelly drops on a rotten stick. This species has not been recorded by the club in the past.

We had quite a problem identifying an abundant purple/brown mushroom found by many members under Oak and Tulip Popular. In the field I though it might be a Cortinarius as the gills showed a hit of orange. I later decided I was being deceived and it might be a Laccaria. The spore print was white which was encouraging, but under the microscope the spores did not have spines. Then I thought about Hygrocybe and that is where I was stuck. I posted the images to Mushroom Observer and a another member, “jimmiev”, suggested a species name. The specimen matched the description, including the spores size and shape as well as the smell so the identification of Clitocybe cokeri was confirmed. This is the first time Clitocybe cokeri has been identified by the club and it is related to a number of cold weather mushrooms that can fruit late in the season after the frost and in the spring with the snow melt.

We found one non mushroom species of note, the Emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis. Culprit in the death of millions of Ash trees in PA and other states, despite all the dead trees it is rarely seen.

There are nearly 60 species recorded here and among the unidentified we are still working on an unusual coral mushroom species. All in all quite a haul.

Species list entered by Richard Jacob. Identified by Adam Haritan, Jack Baker, John Plischke III and Richard Jacob.

List of species found on the walk at Black Friday walk at Hartwood Acres:
Agaricus arvensis (Horse Mushroom),
Armillaria tabescens (Ringless Honey Mushroom),
Ascocoryne sarcoides (Purple Jelly Drops),
Bisporella citrina (Yellow Fairy Cups),
Camarops petersii (Dog Nose fungus),
Chlorociboria aeruginascens (Blue-green Stain),
Clavariadelphus unicolor (),
Clavulina cristata (Crested Coral Fungus),
Clitocybe cokeri (),
Clitocybe nuda (Blewit),
Crucibulum laeve (White-egg Bird’s-nest Fungus),
Dacrymyces minor (),
Daldinia concentrica (Carbon Balls),
Entoloma abortivum (Aborted Entoloma),
Flammulina velutipes (Velvet foot; Enokitake),
Fuligo septica (Scrambled-egg Slime; Dog Vomit Slime),
Galerina marginata (Deadly galerina),
Ganoderma applanatum (Artist’s Conk),
Gloeoporus dichrous (),
Gymnopus dryophilus (Oak-loving Collybia),
Gymnopus semihirtipes (),
Hypholoma lateritium (Brick top),
Hypsizygus ulmarius (Elm Oyster),
Inonotus dryadeus (),
Irpex lacteus (Milk-white Toothed-Polypore),
Ischnoderma resinosum (Resinous Polypore),
Kretzschmaria deusta (Carbon Cushion, Brittle Cinder),
Lycogala epidendrum (Wolf’s Milk Slime),
Lycoperdon perlatum (Gem-studded Puffball),
Marasmius capillaris (),
Mycena luteopallens (Walnut Mycena),
Mycena semivestipes (),
Neofavolus alveolaris (Hexagonal-pored Polypore),
Panellus serotinus (Late Fall Oyster),
Panellus stipticus (Luminescent Panellus, bitter oyster),
Phanerochaete chrysorhiza (),
Phlebia incarnata (),
Phlebia tremellosa (),
Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster Mushroom),
Polyporus badius (Black-footed Polypore),
Polyporus squamosus (Dryad’s Saddle, Pheasant Polypore),
Poronidulus conchifer (),
Resupinatus applicatus (Black Jelly Oyster),
Schizophyllum commune (Split Gill),
Scleroderma citrinum (Pigskin Poison Puffball),
Scutellinia scutellata (Reddish Eyelash Cup),
Scutellinia subhirtella (Orange Eyelash Cup),
Steccherinum ochraceum (),
Stereum complicatum (Crowded Parchment),
Stereum ostrea (False Turkey-tail),
Trametes elegans (),
Trametes versicolor (Turkey-tail),
Tremella lutescens (Yellow Witches’ Butter),
Trichaptum biforme (Violet Toothed-Polypore),
Tyromyces chioneus (White Cheese Polypore),
Xerula furfuracea (Rooted Collybia),
Xylaria polymorpha (Dead Man’s Fingers),
Xylobolus frustulatus (Ceramic Parchment)

Pictures by Adam Haritan and Richard Jacob.

Not Emerald Ash Borer as originally thought but more likely Lebia viridis, see comments below.