<p>An immature <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stropharia_ambigua">Questionable Stropharia</a>, <em>Stropharia ambigua</em>, growing in the backyard. Some say it’s edible, others say it tastes like old leaves, interesting.</p>

<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramaria"><em>Ramaria</em></a>, another new genus (for me) I found growing under a Douglas-fir.</p>

<p>We accompanied our <a href="http://dlburns.blogspot.com/">friends</a> to feed some horses the other day when I noticed the red-tipped lichen on a fence post. I’ve narrowed it down to probably being <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cladonia"><em>Cladonia cristatella</em></a>, also referred to as British soldier lichen.</p>

<p>A neighbor had a tree fall and within days a new colony of mushrooms had invaded.</p>

<p>I’ve been reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Winter-World-Ingenuity-Animal-Survival/dp/0060957379">Winter World</a> by Bernd Heinrich and I’ve been encouraged to look more closely at my woods. So this weekend I took a path I don’t usually take and surprise! I’ve seen an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geastrum_saccatum">earthstar</a> <a href="/2008/10/10/mushrooms-bloedel-fungar/">before</a> but this one is in better condition.</p>

<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_muscaria"><em>Amanita muscaria</em></a>, one of the most recognizable and widely encountered in popular culture, especially children’s books – it’s constantly appearing in my daughter’s. I always associate this mushroom with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smurf">Smurfs</a>. This is odd, of course, because it’s hallucinogenic – perhaps that explains the Smurfs.</p>

<p>Great skies coming home from the <a href="/2009/10/20/fractus/">Arboretum</a> last weekend.</p>

<p>Meet my new favorite mushroom: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helvella_lacunosa"><em>Helvella lacunosa</em></a>, or the Fluted Black Elvin Saddle. Today was a bumper day for mushrooms – my daughter and I photographed at least five or six new species for the season.</p>