May 18th, 2010, there in the forest, a tall trunk of alder with tawny ruffles -- Oyster mushrooms.
On Vancouver Island alders often grow near water, and so old alders can be seen from the water, and so, for paddlers who are also mushroom lovers....
I have and recommend three books on the subject:
Common Mushrooms of the Northwest - by J. Duane Sept (see my review at the Amazon page)
Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest - by Seve Trudell and Joe Ammirati
Edible Wild Mushrooms of North America - by David W. Fischer and Alan E. Bessette
I also recommend the following online resources:
Pacific Northwest Key Council - http://www.svims.ca/council/keys.htm
Here is the above site's link for Oyster Mushrooms - http://www.svims.ca/council/Pleuro.htm
British Columbia Ectomycorrhizal Research network Mushroom Matchmaker - http://www.pfc.forestry.ca/biodiversity/matchmaker/help_e.html
Mushroom Experts - http://www.mushroomexpert.com/
I have to confess that these beauties were located a good 200 feet up a steep bank from the water's edge, but worth the climb to retrieve them. The snag had numerous other growing buds, so I will be returning over the next few days/weeks to harvest more if no-one else finds it.
I ate these for breakfast today. Yum.
On Vancouver Island alders often grow near water, and so old alders can be seen from the water, and so, for paddlers who are also mushroom lovers....
Common Mushrooms of the Northwest - by J. Duane Sept (see my review at the Amazon page)
Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest - by Seve Trudell and Joe Ammirati
Edible Wild Mushrooms of North America - by David W. Fischer and Alan E. Bessette
I also recommend the following online resources:
Pacific Northwest Key Council - http://www.svims.ca/council/keys.htm
Here is the above site's link for Oyster Mushrooms - http://www.svims.ca/council/Pleuro.htm
British Columbia Ectomycorrhizal Research network Mushroom Matchmaker - http://www.pfc.forestry.ca/biodiversity/matchmaker/help_e.html
Mushroom Experts - http://www.mushroomexpert.com/
I have to confess that these beauties were located a good 200 feet up a steep bank from the water's edge, but worth the climb to retrieve them. The snag had numerous other growing buds, so I will be returning over the next few days/weeks to harvest more if no-one else finds it.
I ate these for breakfast today. Yum.
