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The Invasion

We’re being invaded! After our big windstorm the other night, I went out to pick up the tree branches and discovered a lawn full of alien life forms.

From 10.11.16 fungus
From 10.11.16 fungus
From 10.11.16 fungus

There were dozens of these “inky cap” fungus otherwise known as Shaggy Manes (from the genus Coprinus).

From 10.11.16 fungus
From 10.11.16 fungus
From 10.11.16 fungus

There were three of these interesting looking Boletes (from the genus Boletus). According to the deer, snails, slugs, and other woodland creatures, these things are quite tasty. The internet agrees that they are edible, but lack taste.

From 10.11.16 fungus

Amoeba said these could be our old friend the field mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) that we recognize from the grocery store, or they could be a deadly poisonous relative and he’d just as soon not taste them to find out.

And for last I saved my favorite alien of all …

From 10.11.16 fungus

… the Orange Peel Fungus (Aleuria aurantia). Isn’t this just cool looking? According to the internet these are edible but not palatable. Amoeba says, “in other words they aren’t really poisonous, but the taste will make you believe they’ve killed you”.

36 Comments

    1. Cherie — well, I hadn’t been out in the backyard for a couple of days, so I don’t know when it popped up, but I’m assuming the storm caused it. They grow in freshly disturbed soil and the ground was gouged there by deer hooves.

  1. Now that’s one thing we never see in our yards here on the leeward side of Oahu. I must say, you’ve made those fungi very beautiful in your photos.

  2. I love mushrooms but will not take a chance either.
    What I usually look for is if they have worms in them because of worms eat them then this means you can. But unless I know for sure, which at this moment I don’t , well why look for trouble. You can get kidney and liver failure and this is nothing to play with lol

    1. Lady — I don’t eat anything I am not 100% convinced is safe. I won’t even trust the worms to tell me the truth because I know they would gladly eat me!

  3. LOL! I love Amoeba´s way of saying “Don´t feed me those” 🙂
    I love the look of that last one too!

    1. Betty — we had this conversation over the phone after I emailed the photos to him. He was also worried I might taste them when he wasn’t home to stop me.

  4. That orange one is fascinating!
    I’m pretty sure that if God wanted me to eat wild mushrooms, he would cause portabella mushrooms to grow in my yard, complete with a sign and a recipe card. In the meantime, I’ll leave it to the experts.

  5. Absolutely AMAZING! We have weird fungi pop up from time to time too … and I’m never sure WHY they happen! Just out of the blue, very strange stuff! Always photo worthy though! 🙂 I DO love that orange one — I’ve NEVER had one like THAT!!! Now I’m jealous and coveting your fungus! lol!

  6. I had some little ones on a cut tree in my garden, nothing as exotic as your pictures! The orange one is amazingly beautiful! I only eat the ones from the store 🙂

  7. I can’t be 100 % certain but I don’t think you were supposed to leave this state with the Menehune or their homes. I’m just saying.

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