After the beautiful warm autumn weather the weekend was a cool reminder of what the weather is normally like at this time of year. Even so a number of people braved the rain and hail to take a walk on the Allegheny Land Trust Wingfield Pines Conservation Area. The site is a floodplain with a few pines on the high ground and large Sycamore trees along the creek bank. It was here that we found the smallest and for me the most exciting find, Marasmius felix. We knew it was a Marasmius species but we were unable to identify the exact species until later in the day. The key identifying feature was that it grew on the stems of Sycamore leaves other identifying features also matched.

The second interesting find was Dacryopinax spathularia an orange colored edible jelly fungus sometimes added to the Chinese/Buddhist dish Buddha’s delight. Both the Dacryopinax spathularia and Marasmius felix were sampled for DNA barcoding.

Species list entered by La Monte H.P. Yarroll.

List of species found on the walk at Wingfield Pine with Allegheny Land Trust:

[icon style=”camera”] Cyathus striatus (Splash Cups),
[icon style=”camera”] Dacryopinax spathularia (),
[icon style=”camera”] Exidia recisa (),
[icon style=”camera”] Fomitopsis spraguei (),
[icon style=”camera”] Marasmius albuscoticis (),
[icon style=”camera”] Marasmius capillaris (),
[icon style=”camera”] Marasmius felix (),
[icon style=”camera”] Peziza badia (Yellow Ear Cup),
[icon style=”camera”] Phlebia tremellosa (),
[icon style=”camera”] Pluteus cervinus (Fawn (Deer) Mushroom),
[icon style=”camera”] Polyporus squamosus (Pheasant Polypore),
[icon style=”camera”] Stereum complicatum (Crowded Parchment),
[icon style=”camera”] Trametes versicolor (Turkey-tail),
[icon style=”camera”] Tremella mesenterica (Witches’ Butter),
[icon style=”camera”] Trichaptum abietinum (Conifer Polypore),
[icon style=”camera”] Trichaptum biformis (Violet Toothed-Polypore),
[icon style=”camera”] Tyromyces chioneus (White Cheese Polypore),
[icon style=”camera”] Xylaria polymorpha (Dead Man’s Fingers)

Want to take a swim?
Cyathus striatus Splash cup
Stereum complicatum
Peziza badia
Marasmius felix
Marasmius felix about to be sampled.
Dacryopinax spathularia an orange colored edible jelly fungus sometimes added to the Chinese/Buddhist dish Buddha’s delight.
Marasmius felix growing on Sycamore leaf stems.