After a month of dry weather around Pittsburgh it was a pleasant surprise to arrive at Linn Run State Park and find plenty of gilled mushrooms growing in the parking lot. It just got better as we headed up the hill finding a wide variety of species. The table at the end of the walk was a joy to see with so many different mushrooms, of all sorts of colors, from tinny to large.

One the smaller side there were some pretty orange Entoloma quadratum and Cantharellus minor around the parking lot.

We found at least 8 species of Amanita. The most beautiful mushroom of the day went to a Amanita jacksonii specimen. Using a chemical field test we determined that the white destroying angle did not stain yellow with KOH leading to the identification of Amanita magnivelaris.

We found a few edible species including quite a few Cantharellus appalachiensis, one of which is pictured in the slide show that had a very interesting false gill presentation.There was also a chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus), a lone gem studded puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum) and some black staining polypore (Meripilus sumstinei).

On the fun side there were a couple of insect attacking species with a Cordyceps militaris (Trooping Cordyceps) and a crane fly that had been infected with the white Erynia sepulchralis.

I find that the mushrooms walks and mycology very rewarding and sometime useful in unexpected ways. Old specimens of Trichaptum biforme (Violet Toothed-Polypore) can be infected with another species, Phaeocalicium polyporaeum, that fruits in tiny black pins on the top surface of the mushroom. I’ve been looking for it for some time. A specimen was found on the walk but when I looked I could not see the pins with out a magnifying glass. I now know that I need to visit the optician and update my prescription. How useful was that!

Thanks to the 20 or so people who joined the walk on this fine day and found so many interesting mushrooms.

Species list entered by Richard Jacob. Species identified by Robert Bosiljevac, Richard Jacob and Tom McCoy from MAW.

Fungi:
Amanita amerirubescens (Blusher),
Amanita brunnescens var. pallida (Cream Colored Cleft-foot Amanita),
Amanita farinosa (Powder Cap Amanita),
Amanita flavoconia (Yellow Patches),
Amanita jacksonii (North Eastern American Caesars Mushroom),
Amanita magnivelaris (),
Amanita vaginata var. vaginata (Grisette),
Artomyces pyxidatus (Crown-tipped Coral Fungus),
Aureoboletus innixus (Clustered Brown Bolete),
Bjerkandera adusta (Smoky Polypore),
Calocera cornea (Yellow tuning fork),
Cantharellus appalachiensis (Appalachian Chanterelle),
Cantharellus minor (Small Chanterelle),
Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa (Coral Slime),
Clavulinopsis aurantiocinnabarina (),
Collybiopsis confluens (Clustered Toughshank)
Coprinellus disseminatus (Trooping Crumble Cap),
Cordyceps militaris (Trooping Cordyceps),
Cortinarius iodes (Iodine Cort / Viscid Violet Cort),
Crepidotus applanatus (Flat Crep),
Crepidotus mollis (Jelly Crep/Soft Stumpfoot),
Crinipellis zonata (Zoned Hairy Parachute)
Crucibulum laeve (White-egg Bird’s-nest Fungus),
Cyathus striatus (Splash Cups),
Daedalea quercina (Thick-maze Oak Polypore),
Entoloma murrayi (),
Entoloma quadratum (),
Fuligo septica (Scrambled-egg Slime; Dog Vomit Slime),
Helvella macropus (),
Hygrophorus cantharellus (),
Lactarius griseus (),
Lactarius rufus (Rufous Milkcap),
Lactifluus gerardii (),
Laetiporus sulphureus (Chicken Mushroom; Sulphur Shelf),
Lycoperdon perlatum (Gem-studded Puffball),
Megacollybia rodmanii (Platterful Mushroom),
Meripilus sumstinei (Black-staining Polypore),
Mycena leaiana (Orange Mycena),
Neofavolus alveolaris (Hexagonal-pored Polypore),
Niveoporofomes spraguei (Green Cheese Polypore),
Omphalotus illudens (Jack-o’-lantern),
Phaeocalicium polyporaeum (Black Matchstick Fungus),
Pleurotus pulmonarius (Summer Oyster),
Polyporus badius (Black-footed Polypore),
Polyporus brumalis (Winter polypore),
Pseudocolus fusiformis (Stinky Squid),
Puccinia podophylli (May Apple Rust),
Ramaria stricta (),
Rickenella fibula (Orange Moss Agaric),
Russula crustosa (Green Quilt Russula),
Russula mariae (Purple-bloom Russula),
Russula ochroleucoides (),
Russula redolens (),
Schizophyllum commune (Split Gill),
Scutellina vitreol (Eyelash cup),
Syzygites megalocarpus (),
Tetrapyrgos nigripes (Black-footed Marasmus),
Trametes versicolor (Turkey-tail),
Trichaptum biforme (Violet Toothed-Polypore),
Tubifera magna (Flat Raspberry slime mold),
Tulasnella aurantiaca (),
Tylopilus alboater (Black Velvet Bolete),
Tylopilus rubrobrunneus (Reddish-Brown Bitter Bolete),
Xylaria polymorpha (Dead Man’s Fingers),
Xylobolus frustulatus (Ceramic Parchment)

Lichen:
Flavoparmelia caperata (Common greenshield lichen)

Species missing from list:
Amanita variicolor (), Possible ID.
Erynia sepulchralis (),
Sebacina incrustans (),
Cribraria sp. (slime mold)
Galerina vittiformis
peach Russula
small red Russula
yellow blobs – maybe not an Asco
Pluteus
Red Russula’s
Coprinopsis
+ more

Photos by Susan Bertoty and Richard Jacob.