Fall Fungus is Everywhere on Fleming Family Farm!

With more to pop after last night's rain.

Fall in the Pacific Northwest is always an amazing time to find incredible numbers of different fungus. Even here on the drier side of Washington state there is still more than ample moisture to ensure a generous supply for anyone willing to go looking. While I am not generally willing to forage many fungus due to my uncertainty in their identification, I am sure to get pictures of all of the min hopes of learning their id.

This one was a huge saucer shaped cap and just behind and to the left you can see its satellite mushy looking like it is in orbit around the outer ring. Both were attached gills.

This fungus was growing in masses of moss that is super thick and pillowy. It's red colored cap made it stand out against the green backing. I have always been told that natural red was a warning color but there are numerous red fungus that are perfectly fine to eat or touch.

I am still finding myself looking at this image often. The fungus was just a button head with no real stem to it, sort of resembling a puff ball. I love the texture to it and zoomed in some you can see the moisture collected on the points.

These grow back each year in this pot in front of the house and they are getting larger each cycle. This is the 3rd year now and I still have yet to properly identify them. I wish there was a seriously good quality id app but so much of the id stems from the spore shape and size, which is microscopic. An app could get close I suppose but AI and ML will be our best bet for on the fly id.

This monster I believe was either a Amanita or Agaricus and it was growing next to the sheep pen. Singly growing amongst the grass and compacted hay, I look around for others but saw no fruiting bodies popping anywhere nearby. The gills were white, veiled, with a club foot. I still won't eat them without some better training, but I am thinking I am right on at least the family of fungus.

I really need to get mycologists out here to the farm. I have an easy hundred different fungus on the property and I would dearly love to have some of them identified by seasoned "professionals". Washington State University has a myco department and I should probably check with them as well as the Extension office and the Spokane Myco Club.