Fungi Homepage

< >

Northwest Wildlife Online

The Fungi - Our Beautiful Mushrooms

eBooks.com This is the widest collection of Nature and Wildlife ebooks that I have found on the net. If you like science you'll LOVE this site. Tremendous selection of other titles as well.

Birds Mammals Reptiles Amphibians Fish Invertebrates Library NWWOL Online Store Home

Mission Editor Bio Site Map Contact Wildlife Park Links Further Study Wild Employment Northwest Trek

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of mushroom species in the Northwest. Our moist coastal climate is an ideal production factory for all kinds of fungi. Lichens, that extraordinary combination of algae and fungi, are masters of survival throughout even the most extreme climates in the world. It is small wonder then that the Northwest has its share of these incredible organisms.

Now I don't claim expertise with plants, fungi, or lichens. I am an animal guy. So if you see a mistake in classification, please let me know about it. (Lichen pics coming later). I'd be gratified to know that you care enough about natural history to set the facts, and me, straight. Having said that I'm certainly not about to give advice on mushroom edibility. Unless you really know what you are doing I suggest you get your mushrooms where I get them - at the supermarket.

What I've attempted to do on this page is identify and provide photographs of the more common kinds of lichens and mushrooms seen in the Northwest, and show the strange beauty of these organisms. Where I did not think I could make a clear identification I've tried to at least place them into a generic family based on physical appearance.

These ubiquitous organisms are impossible not to notice. Anyone who has hiked our beautiful Northwest woods has marveled at the variety of these odd members of our flora. I hope this page gives both of us a starting point on the fascinating study of mycology.

Mushrooms

A mushroom is a fungus, a natural fact that most of us pick up in school. We like to call them mushrooms or fungi. Somehow a fungus brings to mind some revolting thing found between unwashed toes. Fungi sounds much better. But why do we find these organisms so fascinating? Perhaps because they seem to represent an otherworldly, almost fairytale part of our earth. Silently springing up in the night, blooming into strange shapes in hidden places we wonder what secrets they harbor. Looking at a clump of these bizarre fungoids crowded together amidst brilliant green moss and ancient stumps it's easy to imagine a leprechaun or some other fanciful creature darting about the stalks.

But what we see is not even half the story. This thing we like to gaze upon and dress our steaks with is merely the fruiting body for the much larger fungal body that lies beneath the ground. Less than a millimeter beneath the surface of what we see is an often vast web of thin fungal filaments called hyphae. A mass of these hyphae is referred to as a mycelium.

The economic importance of fungi is staggering. In a 24 hour period a fungus colony can produce over a kilometer of new mycelium. Since these fungi are without chlorophyll they must obtain organic nutrition they same way we do - they get it from another source. There is good and bad associated with this. If all those miles and miles of mycelium that inhabit our world could only live from the food that humans consume or from living on humans, well, we be in trouble. But there are probably just as many types of beneficial fungi. Most of the ones we are aware of are those we see in a restaurant or supermarket. Many, however, are hidden under the soil where they assist plants to grow in return for organic compounds produced by the plant. The full extent of this symbiotic relationship is unknown and is a rich field of study.

Saprophytes - These fungi get their nutrients from dead organic matter.

Parasites - Just like parasites of the animal kingdom these kinds of fungi live off of living plants and animals.

Mycorrhizal or Symbiotic - These are fungi that form mutually beneficial relationships with plants. Somewhat of a recent discovery; much still to be learned.

A member of the Boletes family on the left displays pores instead of gills underneath the cap of the mushroom. On the right is a member of the Chanterelle family (Cantharellacea), Gomphus floccosus. Note the vase shape of the chanterelle.

One of the primary to classify a mushroom is by the shape of the fruiting body. Note the vase shape of the chanterelle.

Some beautiful examples of the shape and color of mushrooms. From left to right: A type of coral fungus, an Orange Peel,

and a Scarlet Cup.

The Polypore or Shelf Fungus family is a common sight. Woody and often tough as bark they are not considered among the edible mushrooms. As you can see from the comparison to my foot some of these, like the Artist's Fungus, Ganoderma applanatum, get very large.

Birds Mammals Reptiles Amphibians Fish Invertebrates Library NWWOL Online Store Home

Mission Editor Bio Site Map Contact Wildlife Park Links Further Study Wild Employment Northwest Trek