A group of about 30 people joined Pia van de Venne from Friends of Murrysville Parks and Richard Jacob from WPMC. Fortunately the rain held off and we could take a pleasant walk through the park. There has been a lot of rain recently but it did not have time to trigger the fruiting of the larger fungi species. The species list contains a lot of smaller specimens along with crusts, parchments and polypores. Some of the smallest species were the most interesting finds. Hymenoscyphus fructigenus, a small ascomycetes, was one such example that only lives on the nutshells of hickory, walnut and acorns. We had a couple of unidentified species including a another small ascomycetes. Given the mostly dry weather through September we found plenty of species with very little overlap to last years walk in June.

Species identified by Richard Jacob, Adam Haritan and John Plischke III. Species list entered by Richard Jacob.

List of species found on the walk at Townsend Park:
Armillaria tabescens (Ringless Honey Mushroom),
Artomyces pyxidatus (Crown-tipped Coral Fungus),
Bisporella citrina (Yellow Fairy Cups),
Bjerkandera adusta (Smoky Polypore),
Daedaleopsis confragosa (Thin-maze Flat Polypore),
Entoloma abortivum (Aborted Entoloma),
Exidia recisa (Wood ear),
Fomitopsis spraguei (Green Cheese Polypore),
Ganoderma applanatum (Artist’s Conk),
Gymnopus dryophilus (Oak-loving Collybia),
Hymenoscyphus fructigenus (),
Kretzschmaria deusta (Carbon Cushion, Brittle Cinder),
Laetiporus sulphureus (Chicken Mushroom; Sulphur Shelf),
Lycoperdon perlatum (Gem-studded Puffball),
Marasmius rotula (Pinwheel Marasmius),
Marasmius strictipes (Orange-yellow Marasmius),
Mycena galericulata (Common Mycena; Rosy-gill Fairy-helmet),
Mycena haematopus (Bleeding Mycena),
Naematoloma fasciculare (Sulfur Tuft),
Neofavolus alveolaris (Hexagonal-pored Polypore),
Panellus stipticus (Luminescent Panellus, bitter oyster),
Phallus ravenelii (),
Pholiota limonella (),
Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster Mushroom),
Plicaturopsis crispa (),
Polyporus badius (Black-footed Polypore),
Psathyrella delineata (),
Resupinatus applicatus (Black Jelly Oyster),
Stereum complicatum (Crowded Parchment),
Stereum hirsutum (Hairy Parchment),
Stereum ostrea (False Turkey-tail),
Trametes elegans (),
Trametes versicolor (Turkey-tail),
Trichaptum biforme (Violet Toothed-Polypore),
Tyromyces chioneus (White Cheese Polypore),
Xerula furfuracea (Rooted Collybia),
Xylaria polymorpha (Dead Man’s Fingers),
Xylobolus frustulatus (Ceramic Parchment)

Species not currently on clubs life list:
Mycena with straw yellow stem

Pictures by Jo Cowling, Adam Haritan and Richard Jacob