# Fungi



## Gumby (Oct 20, 2012)

Since moving here to Arkansas, I've discovered a new world of neat fungi. Here are a few I came across in my woods. I can't get these shots to load up in order, so I'm just going to post the pictures. The first one is about six inches tall and the top is about four inches around. The second one is a bright red and grows very close to the ground. The third one is very large and spreads out to about a foot across and is growing on an old dead tree stump in the ground.


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## Potty (Oct 25, 2012)

Nice pics, Gumby! My personal fave is the last one as it can be confused for so many other things! How did you get the effect in the first one? Looks the same as when I've had too many beers.

The middle two remind me of a fungi I found many years ago, if I may indulge you;


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## Potty (Oct 25, 2012)

Just got my mushroom book out;

Picture one I can't identify but...

Picture 2 and 3 are (to the best of my knowledge) "Fly Agaric; Amanita muscaria" which are rarely fatal but have hallucinogenic properties.

Picture 4 is (to the best of my knowledge) a "Many-zoned Polypore; Coriolus versicolor" which is just rather leathery and tasteless... Not sure if they are poisonus.


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## Gumby (Oct 25, 2012)

Thank you for the information, Potty. The mushroom/toadstool/fungi family is just so neat to see, sometimes. They always remind me of Alice in Wonderland. Hopefully none of the animals I have will eat those red 'shrooms.  The effect in the first pic is just a blurring one, I think it's called 'Beer Goggles', ha, ha, not really.

I love how the color on your mushroom changes as it gets to the edges, it's really beautiful.


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## Olly Buckle (Oct 25, 2012)

Not sure if they really are fly agaric Potty, the red is a bit bright and they look a little 'roundy'. Remember Gumby is on another continent. Fly agaric grow on Birch roots, is it a place with shallow soil and Birch trees Gumby?


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## Gumby (Oct 26, 2012)

I've had a try at looking up what it could be. My woods are mostly mixed Oaks, Pines, Hickory Nut, and Cedar, Olly. I don't believe there are any Birch there. 

This is what I found: The Sickener, or Emetic Russula, is a mushroom with a bright red cap borne on a thick, white stalk.

We also have something called a Vase Puffball or _Calvatia cyathiformis, _which start off as low round white balls, and end up being a large dark purple puffball. You have to hold your breath when you mow over these, as they explode into the air with the most noxious smelling brown spores.


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## Olly Buckle (Oct 26, 2012)

Our puffballs are good to eat and big enough to slice, but you have to get them young or they are dust inside. The emetic sickner sounds pretty horrid.


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## Potty (Oct 26, 2012)

Unless they are brown... brown puff balls are bad for you. But I've yet to find one of the monsters Olly speaks of! I can't wait until I stumble across one.


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## dolphinlee (Oct 26, 2012)

Re getting the pictures to show in order. 

Have you named the photos in the order you want them to appear 1, 2, 3 or A, B, C?


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## Gumby (Oct 27, 2012)

Dolphinlee, the pictures appear in the order which I explained them in, but for some reason, I can't get my photo's to appear when I attach them, so I can do; photo, caption, photo, caption, etc. I never had a problem before, so I suspect there is something going on with my laptop.


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