Morels are most likely on every mushroomers’ short list of favorite edible fungi. But delicious as they are, morels are much more than just a good meal. Morels are esoteric and mysterious, seemingly not bound by the rules of ‘ordinary’ mushrooms. Where and how to find them have become part of the folklore in much of North America, especially in the mid-west where moreling has been elevated almost to the status of religion. For many the hunt is the goal, so compelling that there are morelers that don’t even eat their catch! More…
MykoWeb Mushroom Blog
The Hunt for Blue October
Posted on 16 November 2009 by Taylor Lockwood
“These people must think I’m nuts.” I had just finished an evening presentation for a couple of mushroom clubs on the Olympic Peninsula (WA), and passing on dinner and a warm bed, I headed into the darkness. More…
Web Watch: Useful References, Descriptions, & Keys
Posted on 09 November 2009 by Michael Wood
In this issue of WebWatch we will explore some useful references regarding the identification and classification of mushrooms and other fungi. These are aimed at the amateur mycologist interested in progressing beyond the field guide level in their pursuit of mushroom identification and understanding of mushroom taxonomy and nomenclature. More…
Volvariella bombycina in full glory
Posted on 05 October 2009 by Taylor Lockwood
Sometime back in the ’80s, I was on my first mushroom photography trip to the Appalachians. It was a hot and sticky day in North Carolina, and I found a beautiful pair of white mushrooms growing out of a small stump. These were special because they each came out of a large cup at the base but were clearly not Amanitas, which don’t grow on wood. More…
Web Watch: Fungal Photography on the Web
Posted on 17 July 2009 by Michael Wood
When I first started MykoWeb so many years ago, I envisioned that soon there would be websites popping up all over the world that documented their local funga[1] with good photographs. After all it was expensive to publish hard copies of color photographs, but cheap to put color photos on the web. Alas, my dream of many fine local fungas on the web has not been fulfilled for a couple of reasons: good mushroom photos are hard to take and there are few willing to devote the time and effort necessary to create a good and lasting website. More…
Web Watch: MykoWeb
Posted on 20 June 2009 by Michael Wood
In this installment of “Web Watch” I am covering MykoWeb. First of all, a disclaimer is needed: since MykoWeb is my site, I cannot promise you a totally objective review!
MykoWeb was one of the first mushroom sites on the World Wide Web. Started on 27 September 1995, it has just celebrated its first birthday as a teenager! Since inception, MykoWeb has grown into what is probably the world’s largest and most informative mycological web site. With over 1400 pages and over 6000 photographs, the information presented is extensive. More…
Spring Fungi of the Sierra Nevada
Posted on 10 June 2009 by Michael Wood
Last week was the first week of June, which means I was gone to the Sierras. I’m always gone to the Sierras the first week of June. It’s the week of the “Spring Fungi of the Sierra Nevada” class at the San Francisco State University Sierra Nevada Field Station, near Yuba Pass, California. We usually call it the “Yuba Pass” class. More…
WebWatch: Observing Mushrooms
Posted on 06 June 2009 by Michael Wood
Many of you probably expect me to cover my own website, MykoWeb, in this second installment of Web Watch. Instead, I will cover a less well known, but excellent new site, Mushroom Observer. MO may well be the best World Wide Web mycology site that you have never heard of. More…