Growing on old Stereum fasciatum. No reaction to KOH. KOH seems to wash an orange pigment from the fungus.
Having some difficulty scoping these, will try again tomorrow to get measurements of the conidiospores.
Reference: https://www.studiesinmycology.org/sim/Sim27/fulltext/index.html
See linked observation of the mites that appear to be consuming this fungus.
K. Paxton reported tiny anamorphs in our burn-pile. I raised a board and revealed claw-like structures. We re-covered the pile. Now there are many more as shown in the context shot.
Photos 11-21 by @kallampero; photo # 18 is 400x, all others 1000x and in Melzer's.
Notes also from Danny:
"The spore measurements are as follows:
13.34 4.26
15.67 4.29
11.85 4.08
12.01 4.11
13.63 4.06
13.81 4.26
12.45 3.89
13.46 4.94
13.55 4.40
13.39 4.31
13.92 4.42
14.07 4.19
11.27 4.43
12.45 4.40
12.15 3.94
12.26 4.03
12.05 4.08
12.89 4.16
11.29 4.29
12.40 4.30
12.16 4.08
14.22 4.38
13.48 4.41
12.42 4.64
14.32 4.48
11.01 4.38
11.86 3.87
10.97 4.35
12.44 4.04
12.53 4.37
13.80 3.79
12.19 4.36
12.60 4.55
11.41 4.13
12.74 4.38
12.11 4.28
12.68 4.43
13.72 4.38
12.45 4.38
11.56 4.27
11.64 4.14
11.58 3.63
12.14 4.21
12.55 4.17
12.43 4.28
12.85 4.45
12.60 4.12
15.89 4.77
11.58 4.36
12.24 3.91
(11) 11.6 - 13.9 (15.9) × (3.6) 3.9 - 4.4 (4.9) µm
Q = (2.5) 2.7 - 3.2 (3.7) ; N = 50
Me = 12.7 × 4.3 µm ; Qe = 3
I would also add to this that the germ slit is spore length, straight to slightly curved, and that the spores appear to be biguttulate when fresh, and 1-guttulate when dried."
These are fungal swellings growing on mycelium that is growing on a dead log of Cornus floridana and down into the soil beneath the log. The majority of the swellings were buried down in the soil. Both the mycelium and the swellings start white and when handled, bruise pink then dark purple. Cross section shows spongey, slightly sticky interior, with a small hollow in the middle. Odor just smells like dirt. Taste like raw potato/dirt.
Possibly. Interior gelatinous, very sticky. Spores light brown, smooth walled. Growing in leaf litter, cypress, white oak, holly, beech, sourwood, tupelo, magnolia. White rhizomorphs, fuzzy ball shaped exterior.
Tentative ID suspected Hygrophorus Subsordidus, to be confirmed after study
Fungus or slime mold? Growing on a log so I first thought Pear Shaped Puffball, but the fuzzy texture doesn't look right. Possibly False Puffball slime mold?
Growing on a deer skull that was partially buried in the dirt. Macro photos by John Plischke. Fungus is florescent in 365nm UV light.
Collected beneath the same tree as my other observation of this same species- https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/171660035
Seems to be prolific among the magnolia duff but does not appear to be infecting any other duff present.
Ventricose, growing on Stereum complicatum on a hardwood branch. Photos 4&5 reconstituted. Photo 5 cross section showing hollow nature of the fruiting bodies.
Micrographs at 1000x and mounted in Meltzers
Here we are looking at the "crust" growing on the wood in the bottom of this photo. Growing on a very decayed stick of unknown wood type, along with various moss and lichens. (Oak and Pecan trees nearby)
Fungus is very very soft. Appear to be crowded cups. Basidium observed. On day 3 after collection, cups appear to be engulfed in mycelium. Hyphae branching with clamp connections present. No spores observed.
Very mold-like. Growing in a hollow of a dead tree. Powdery to the touch with a blue-grey color.
After incubation, this is forming balls with dark centers.
Growing on old decaying wood in mixed wood forest.
Micrographs at 1000x, last two mounted in Lugols.
Latex white, turning pinkish slowly. Odor not distinct, taste mildly peppery in young specimen, not peppery in mature. In moist deciduous forest
Growing from a stick in my humidity chamber. Appears to be erupting from black growths on the stick. I believe it is a stick from Carya illinoinensis and may be the same stick as this observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/174961751
Very tiny, maybe 8mm tall when fresh. By the time I got it home, it had shriveled. Transparent. Distant, wavy gills. Growing from soil among moss.
Growing gregariously from soil under thick growth of Vitis and Callicarpa americana. Magnolia macrophylla, Liquidamber, Quercus and Carya in vicinity.
Rhomboid spores, many with a central guttule. Approx 7-9μm at widest and longest points. Clavate, 4 spored basidia measure roughly 10 x 30μm Spores are yellow under microscopy. Micrographs are taken at 1000x, 1 div= 1μm, mounted in distilled water.
No discernible odor.
I think this is a Russula in the foetid group. The green coloring is not bruising or staining, nor is it anything artificial (it was in the ground this way and no one else could have access to it) Photo 6 is at 20x and photos 7 & 8 are at 1000x and mounted in distilled water.
Growing on a dead hardwood branch. Microscopy pending. Also have a specimen in a moss box to see if it will mature.
Florescent in 365nm UV light.
Fungus growing from a dead Smilax stem, erupting from under the bark. I can't for the life of me find anything that looks like basidium or asci. The spores (I'm assuming) are ~20 x 1-2μm. The hyphae are covered in nodules. Perhaps these are a form of asexual spore stemming from the hyphae? All micrographs are taken at 1000x except photo 7 which is at 100x showing the feathery-like form. Photos with a yellow background are mounted in Meltzers and all structures appear inamyloid.
Growing on a dead hardwood branch. Popped up after I placed it in a humid terrarium in order to watch the larger orange fungus on the branch mature. Some of these specimens are quite wet after having misted the terrarium. Fruiting bodies very small, the largest is about 0.8mm across the head and only approx 2mm tall. The stipes are just a hair breadth. Color is bubblegum pink in person, or perhaps a bright salmon. Photo 7 is at 100x and all other micrographs are taken at 1000x and are mounted in water. Spores measure approx 5 x 3 μm
This observation is of the black anamorph growing on the same specimens from https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/168358931
This is one specimen with the stipe folded over on itself. This erupted from the bark of a stick from Carya illinoinensis that has been incubating in a humidity chamber for several weeks with other moss and fungi. Unfortunately, I did not catch it in fresh condition. Estimate size to be 4-5mm tall when not folded over, with a round head. Texture very gummy-like. Small white hairs on apical end of stipe. Head covered in small black dots. Unsure if this is one fungus or one fungus with a secondary fungal parasite.
Micrographs taken at 1000x, mounted in distilled water then stained with Lactophenol Cotton Blue. All structures cyanophillic. Curved, hair-thin structures most prominent (thousands) occasionally containing small guttules, ~12μm from tip to tip. Are these spores? Occasional presence of spores that are ellipsoid, 4x3μm with a prominent hilar appendage. Might these be contaminate spores from something else in the humidity chamber? Broken hyphae pieces present. Sample collected. Culture is being attempted.
Or could this be a Gymnosporangium and we are seeing multiple spore types?
Growing from debris from Magnolia macrophylla
11/13/23: updating with current photo of fruiting bodies after sitting in an incubation box for months. Outer surface is rough and has black dots on it.
Microscopy shows crystals within the soft interior of the fungus. There are several structures that I can't identify but keep showing up consistently. Including the large brown balls that are attached to the surface by some sort of cord. There are structures that look very much like spores, but they are flat, and I've never seen spores flat before.
Can not find anything that is definitively a basidium or an ascus.
Growing on deadwood of unknown type. Approx 1-2mm tall.
Last photo is 5 days of being in a humidity chamber.
11/13/23: stick has been in my humidity chamber for MONTHS. New growths noticed today. Photos #8-9
12/21/23: Same stick, same fungus, new photos. Significant growth. Photos #10-13
Growing on a decaying stem from a Magnolia macrophylla cone. Appear to be maturing to have openings at the top, sessile, outer surface glabrous. Last three photos of more mature specimens after 24 hours in a humidity chamber.
Smells strongly of mothballs. Growing from soil in mixed wood Rhododendron glade next to a stream.
Same species as this:
https://www.inaturalist.ca/observations/179506375
Taste is initially bitter then slightly spicy. Latex is creamy coloured and stains the gills a darker orange colour.
Growing on decorticated deadwood in a primary hardwood lowlands. Fruiting bodies are soft and approx 2mm across. Interior consists of a clear firm gelatinous material. Last photo is a bisection.
Growing on decorticated deadwood log in primarily hardwood lowlands. Only specimen found.
Cap scurry, pores very small. No stipe ornamentation. Taste mild, insepid. No discernible odor. Not staining when cut. Stipe and cap both bruise brown after handling. Growing from soil in mixed wood forest, Pinus, Quercus, Magnolia, Liquidamber, Carya in area.
Cap staining yellow with 4% NH4OH and yellow with 4% KOH. Darkening with application of 10% FeSO4. No chemical reactions on pores or cap context.
Unable to get spore drop for microscopy. This is growing at the edge of Smith Lake on a bank that is sometimes underwater. Current water level is 505.48 MSL.
Found in moist sandy/rich soil near Azalea bushes with hickory and oak trees nearby.
Spores brown, ellipsoid with honeycomb reticulation. 20-24μm x 30-38 Micrographs taken at 400x sample mounted in 4% KOH