Vacation Photos 2004: North Carolina & Virginia

My wife and I traveled to Asheville, North Carolina for the 2004 North American Mycological Society foray. I also attended the Mycological Society of America meeting immediately following the NAMA foray. We also spent some time in and around Rockbridge County, Virginia.

No microscope was available, so all of these fungi were identified by macroscopic features using these field guides:

Roody, W.C. (2003). Mushrooms of West Virginea and the Central Appalachians. Lexington, KY: University of Kentucky Press. 520 p.
Weber, N.S. & Smith, A.H. (1985). A Field Guide to Southern Mushrooms. Ann Arbor, MN: University of Michigan Press. 280 p.
Lincoff, G.H. (1981). The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf. 928 p.
Bessette, A.E., Roody, W.C. & Bessette, A.R. (2000). North American Boletes: A Color Guide to the Fleshy Pored Mushrooms. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press. 400 p.

With a few exceptions, these species do not occur in the Western United States.

All photographs © Michael Wood. Click on the species name to see the photo. Some photos also have a higher resolution version available by clicking on the "Hi Res Photo" icon.

North Carolina

Boletus bicolor
Boletus bicolor
The Eastern United States has many more species of boletes compared to our bolete mycota here in the West. Many are of great beauty and bright colors, such as this Boletus bicolor.
Boletus ornatipes
Boletus ornatipes
This bright yellow bolete quickly stains brown when handled. It also stains your hands and your collecting bag yellow!
Boletus variipes
Boletus variipes
Another pretty bolete, but not bright like the previous two!
Boletus speciosus
Boletus speciosus
The specific epithet, "speciosus" means "showy" or "beautiful", which is quit appropriate for this gorgeous mushroom!
Boletus subvelutipes
Boletus subvelutipes
Wow, another reddish bolete! As with many red pored boletes, this one is reputed to be poisonous.
Cantharellus cinnabarinus
Cantharellus cinnabarinus
Cantharellus cinnabarinus
These beautiful chanterelles were the most common mushroom species we saw during this trip. With their bright colors, they are easy to spot in spite of their small size.
Cantharellus lateritius
Known as the "smooth chanterelle" because of it mostly smooth hymenium.
Chlorociboria aeruginascens
Chlorociboria aeruginascens
Chlorociboria aeruginascens stained wood
The mycelium of these bright blue-green cup fungi stain the wood in which they are growing a similar color. When wood that has been stained by fungal growth is used for furniture, it is called "spalted" wood.
Clavulinopsis laeticolor
This coral fungus occurs across the United States.
CAF description
Hydnum umbilicatum
Hydnum umbilicatum
The "belly button hedgehog" is a good edible mushroom.
CAF description
Lactarius corrugis
Most of the Lactarii I encountered on this trip had much more copious "milk" than the typical west coast Lactarius.
Lactarius deceptivus
Lactarius deceptivus
I'm a bit hesitant about this ID. One or both of these photos could be Lactarius subvellereus.
Lactarius volemus
This species and Lactarius corrugis are considered very good edible mushrooms by most who have tried them.
Phellodon atratus
This is one of the many fungi that can be used for dyeing fabric. See A Brief History of the Art of Mushroom Dyeing for more information.
Ramariopsis kunzei
This coral mushroom has a brittle texture.
CAF description
Spathulariopsis velutipes
The specific epithet means "velvet foot".
Strobilomyces floccopus
Called "the old man of the woods", a strange name with an unknown origin.
Tremellodendron pallidum
This fungus is related to the jelly fungi, not most of the coral fungi.
Wynnea americana
This "cup fungus" has apothecia that look like elongated rabbit ears.

Virginia

Amanita citrina
Amanita citrina will have patches of universal veil remnant on the cap in younger specimens. Faded specimens can resemble the destroying angels, but this mushroom has an abruptly bulbous stipe base, not a sac-like volva.
Amanita sp.
Amanita sp.
We saw lots of small attractive Amanitas.
Boletus ornatipes
Boletus ornatipes
The specific epithet means "ornate foot" and refers to the conspicuous reticulation of the stipe.
Calostoma cinnabarina
Calostoma cinnabarina
This is one weird looking "puffball"! On the basis of DNA research, we know that Calostoma is related to the boletes! There are three species of Calostoma in North America and about a dozen more in Asia and Australia.
Cantharellus cinnabarinus
Cantharellus cinnabarinus
The specific epithet "cinnabarinus" means "cinnabar colored". Cinnabar is the vermillion colored ore that is the principle source of mercury.
Clavicorona pyxidata
This coral fungus is easy to recognize by the crown-shaped branch tips. Also known as Artomyces pyxidatus.
Dacrymyces palmatus
This jelly fungus grows on decorticated conifer wood.
Unknown mushroom
This one would require a microscope for identification. All of the mushrooms here could use a microscope for confirmation.
Tylopilus plumbeoviolaceus
Tylopilus plumbeoviolaceus
Another beautiful bolete, this one a Tylopilus. The pores will have a reddish tinge at maturity from the spore color.