Oak Mazegill

There is an oak snag on the hillside that has these interesting mushrooms cascading down the side that appear to have been crafted by forest gnomes—they resemble the pointy hats that they wear. Underneath each one is a maze that is the entrance into their mysterious world if you know how to solve it.

In Mushrooms Demystified, David Arora calls it Thick-Walled Maze Polypore, Daedalea quercia. According to iNaturalist, this species was transferred to the genus Fomitopsis in 2024. It also has the common name Oak Mazegill.

Under habitat in Mushrooms Demystified, David writes, “Solitary or sometimes in shelving groups on dead or living hardwoods, especially oak, chestnut, and chinquapin; widely distributed, but especially common in Eastern North America. I have seen it in Northern California and Oregon, but have yet to find it in our area. It causes a brown heart rot, and the tough fruiting bodies occur year-round.”

Mushrooms can be tricky to identify, for me. I haven’t really spent that much time identifying them and getting to know them. I do find them beautiful and fascinating and they always attract my attention this time of year. After all, the mushroom festival at the arboretum is this month. In Mushrooms Demystified, David writes, “Pores usually greatly elongated and pocket- or mazelike, sometimes even forming gills; whitish to buff, tan, or dull ochre; tube walls (or “gills”) thick (1 mm or more), the spaces between them at least 1 mm broad; tubes 0.5-3 cm long, the layers not distintly stratified.” What I find curious is that they are “pocket- or mazelike, sometimes even forming gills.” I found other mushrooms growing out of the end of a fallen oak tree that had been cut to clear the path. They were similar to the ones on the snag but the pores looked more like gills. iNaturalist also suggested they were the Oak Mazegill which would align with David’s description of sometimes forming gills. I am surprised that they can form so differently, as long as they are the same species. I included an example in the last photo below. Maybe I can catch up with a mycologist at the mushroom festival and ask about it.

Resource
Arora, David. Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi. Second edition, Ten Speed Press, 1986.

Pisolithus

I saw one of these and thought it was a decaying piece of wood. Then I walked past another one that was similar but was crumbling and deteriorating into a fine, powdery dust. As I was investigating these interesting forms, my friends Patrick and Nellie walked up. I showed them these intriguing objects and Patrick said they were mushrooms!

The genus Pisolithus comes from the Greek words piso, meaning pea and lith, meaning stone. These small, pea-shaped “stones” known as peridioles can be seen in younger specimens and contain the spores. As the fruiting body ages, the peridioles break down and release a dusty mass of brown spores.

As I read about this fungus, I found it confusing enough to want to not list a species. For example, in David Arora’s book Mushrooms Demystified, he has an entry for Pisolithus tinctorius in which he states at the end: “Its wide distribution and variable features have resulted in a plethora of aliases including P. arenarius, P. arrhizus, and Polysaccum picocarpium.”

The young mushrooms were unexpectedly fascinating on the inside. I cut one open and it revealed the beautiful peridioles forming rich, earthy golds, blacks, and browns. I am continually amazed at the abundance and diversity of life forms that can be found in my own “backyard” at Mt. Pisgah.

Nature is an inexhaustible source of wonder. I look forward to seeing you out there!

Resource
Arora, David. Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi. Second edition, Ten Speed Press, 1986.

Turkey Tail Fungus

When this organism first caught my eye, I thought it was a moth. Realizing it wasn’t a moth, I went in for a closer look. I was so struck by the beautiful bands of brown and the velvety texture. Elegantly nestled in the moss, it was attached directly, without a stem, to a decaying log. I lightly touched it, still imagining it would fly away. I looked it up when I got home and found that it was possibly a turkey tail fungus. I went back today to look underneath to see if it had pores, which it does. I found one on the ground, that had probably been broken off, and I was able to bend it. Flexibility is one of the traits of turkey tail fungus. Turkey tails also have a velvety texture on top, which I reaffirmed today. I’m so glad that these magnificent, little creatures are apart of my awareness now.

Bird's Nest Fungus

The fruiting body of the bird’s nest fungus forms a small cup that reminds me of the remains of an old barnacle shell. I see them perched on small twigs on the forest floor along the Incense-cedar trail. When these cups form, they contain spore sacks, known as peridioles, which resemble tiny eggs. Raindrops fall into the cups and splash the small sacks out into the surrounding area spreading the fungus. I’m uncertain as to when these formed, and I wonder if the small, light brown formations around the cups are associated with the fungus. Maybe these fruits popped out with the first rains at the end of summer. I’ll try to check in on them throughout the fall to see what happens.

This creature is pretty small. It’s about the size of the cap that goes on a bicycle tire,. They are not too tricky to spot if I take a minute to carefully scan beside the trail.