Pick Your Poison! -Mushrooms

This may become part of the "of the birthday" thing or I may leave it as a random surprise throughout my blog. I have many books on foraging, herbs and mushrooms alike. My most recent book (I love book gifts) is Mushrooms of West Virginia and the Central Appalachians by William C. Roody.  This is one of my more expensive books at $35. It was found in the gift shop at The New River Gorge, however, you can purchase it or order it from your regular bookstore.

I'm going to follow along with the book and start in section 1-A. If you have any of the books that I've mentioned in my blog, I follow the book beginning to end and I try to type whats on the page... Plagiarism I know, I know. However, I don't want to reword whats on the page. I'm afraid it'll put my opinion into it or by changing it I create misinformation. With these blogs, I want to try and remain neutral. So, on with the blog.

Gilled Mushrooms with a Lateral Stalk, or Stalk Lacking

The mushrooms in this section are saprobes or parasites that grow on wood or, less often, on soil. Most are laterally attached to the substrate, often occurring in overlapping shelf-like clusters. The spore color of a species with overlapping caps is sometimes evident in the field when the spores from one fruit body accumulate on the caps of those beneath. 

Common Name: Soft-skinned Crepidotus

Width of cap: 1-2 inches

Cap: Kidney or fan-shaped; white to grayish, smooth surface with dense white hairs at the point of attachment, margin strait; flesh white, Odor mild

Gills: Crowded, radiating from basal point of attachment, broad; whitish at first, becoming pinkish then rusty brown as the spores mature. 

Stalk: Rudimentary or lacking; White tomentose when present.

Spore Print: Rusty Brown to Dark Brown

Occurrence: in groups or overlapping clusters along logs and stumps of broad leaved trees; saprobic; early summer-fall; occasional

Edibility: NOT EDIBLE