lostcoastmike's Favorites

Creek trail, Sugarloaf State Park. Arbutus menziesii, Quercus, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Umbellularia californica, Heteromeles arbutifolia dominated mixed hardwood/conifer forest
Growing on wet hardwood, leaf litter and dead moss in partially buried pile of Quercus or Umbellularia californica
Multi-colored resupinate fungus studded with small lumps throughout. Growing margin bright yellow with visible mycelial structure. Exuding wine-red guttation droplets closer to growing edges. Very thin and fragile.
Smell indistinct
Wildly intense neon/royal blue fluorescence

Mixed hardwood/conifer forest in the Madeline Sone Wildlife Preserve
Growing on a fallen and well-decomposed Umbellularia californica branch Sequoia sempervirens and Umbellularia californica dominant section of the forest
White, resupinate fungus with small, blunt, serrate "teeth"
Smell indistinct
No KOH

Mixed hardwood/conifer forest in the Madeline Sone Wildlife Preserve
Growing on a piece of a well-decomposed twig right off the trail in a Sequoia sempervirens and Umbellularia californica dominant section of the forest
Neon yellow astipitate Ascomycetes
Fluoresces bright orange

Mixed hardwood/conifer forest in the Madeline Sone Wildlife Preserve
Growing on cut woody Toxicodendron diversilobum vine which was lying on the ground under a canopy of Quercus agrifolia
Tiny, black lumps growing on the exterior of vine, about 25% displaying a vertical, rectangular ascomata resembling compressed layers of carbon

@leptonia hello Christian, I took your online class during the pandemic. Wondering if you think this could be something other than a xylaria. I watched it over several months, and just dug it out today. Long stipe, wasn't obviously attached to wood, but perhaps... way down.
@dietel here it is again

Found a half dozen of these strange growths attached to redwood twigs. Several have a spiral pattern. Texture is brittle. Seems fungal?

I would have dismissed this as banana slug poop, except that it was hard and encrusted on redwood twigs, the spiral surface on "top" was smooth on the "bottom", and there were many in one area.

Bohemia Ecological Preserve- mixed hardwood/conifer forest with scattered grasslands on serpentine vein, adjacent to Duvoul Creek
Growing on dead branch of Pickeringia montana on the edge of a grassland
Orange/brown resupinate poroid fungus. Velvety to the touch
Smell and taste indistinct
KOH black

Off Spring Creek Trail in a damp Umbellularia californica and Sequoia sempervirens dominant forest, Annadel State Park
Growing on the cut ends of dead Umbellularia californica
Dusty, "fuzzy" mold-like fungus which sporulates heavily when disturbed. Growing in thin, crust-like layers. White to tan to blueish in coloration

Found in an open deciduous oak woodland/shrubland/grassland right off to the side of the trail near the entrance of Vietnam Memorial Trail, Annadel State Park
Growing on moist wood (bark and inner wood) near the base of Baccharis pilularis
Lumpy resupinate crust ranging in color from yellow to cream to grey to brown with spots of pink. Incredibly thin, only penetrating about 1mm into wood
Yellow/brown KOH
Smell indistinct
Fluoresces bright blue with KOH turning grey, inner wood of Baccharis pilularis fluorescing bright yellow

Growing on pieces of scrap wood from construction. Irregularly toothed hydnoid-resupinate with dingy tan colors at maturity and white towards the margins. Teeth often appear flattened and elongated, flesh soft.

Bohemia Ecological Preserve- Hesperocyparis sargentii and Arctostaphylos bakeri donimant forest/shrubland on serpentine soils
Growing by the hundreds on disturbed, gravely and sandy serpentine soils on road and trailsides. Also in mossy zones and in mixed organic matter. Some in broad daylight with no vegetative canopy, others growing under the shade of nearby bushes/trees

Small bright to dull orange astipitate Ascomycete cups with a lobed, inconsistent shape. Margin lighter than rest of fruit body and often cracked
Taste mild
Smell indistinct
KOH indistinct

Burned Quercus/Pinus dominant woodland (now shrubland post-burn), just west of Knoxville road near Lake Berryessa
Growing on burned, dead but standing Pinus sabiniana
Reflexed polypore with white hymenophore and surface speckled in brown. Tissue tough, dense, leathery
Taste extremely bitter/acidic
Smell indistinct
Slightly yellow KOH in white light
Whole sporocarp fluorescing blue/yellow/pinkish. KOH turning bright yellow

Burned Quercus/Pinus dominant woodland (now shrubland post-burn), just west of Knoxville road near Lake Berryessa
Growing on underside of severely burned and decomposing log (most likely Pinus sabiniana)
Blue/yellow resupinate fungus with round lumps scattered throughout
Smell indistinct
KOH indistinct

Burned Quercus/Pinus dominant woodland (now shrubland post-burn), just west of Knoxville road near Lake Berryessa
Growing on underside of severely burned and decomposing log (most likely Pinus sabiniana)
Taste slightly sour
Smell like chemical cleaner/play dough
Yellow KOH
Whole fruit body blue/green in UV