Mushroom ID help needed

Snakeoil

Snakeoil

Well-Known Member
Our 9 week old pup was in the yard today and she likes sticks, leaves and anything she can find on the lawn. Today, she found a couple of what appear to be mushrooms. I've never seen anything like them and many searches on the internet do not show anything like this.

The cooperative extension is closed so I thought I'd try you guy since I've seeen discussions of mushroom eating here and hope you might be able to tell me if these are poisonous or not. I need to know is I have to make sure Ellie does not find another or if it is a non-issue.

Here are two photos of the mushroom. It is a dark reddish brown, almost black color and translucent if held up to the light. Size of this one is about 1 inch in diameter.

Thanks,

20240326_174142a.jpg20240326_174153a.jpg
 
JWFilips

JWFilips

Well-Known Member
Wow Never seen one of those! Could be an overwinter of something that didn't rot I know mant tree mushroom overwinter and turn strange colors then breakdown
 
P

popper

Well-Known Member
Let me know what it is, I found one like that 6" in dia in front bushes. Hit it and lots of powder came out.
 
JWFilips

JWFilips

Well-Known Member
If it is a Puff Ball it weathered a long winter....Never seen one last that long with out deterioration
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tom
JonB

JonB

Halcyon member
An aged puffball would be black inside.
.
I have no idea what that brown turd could be.
 
Snakeoil

Snakeoil

Well-Known Member
Old puffball makes sense. If I learn more, I'll report back here. No stem, by the way. I found another later and it was tight to the ground.
 
Ian

Ian

Notorious member
Puffballs in Texas have no stem, and we don't have winters here to speak of. They look like a turd standing upright and when dry the insides are like cocoa powder. Kick one and it makes a huge, brown cloud.
 
Winelover

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
Ian said:
Puffballs in Texas have no stem, and we don't have winters here to speak of. They look like a turd standing upright and when dry the insides are like cocoa powder. Kick one and it makes a huge, brown cloud.
Click to expand...
Same here in Arkansas. My gravel drive is loaded with them.
 
L Ross

L Ross

Well-Known Member
Thumbcocker said:
Not a puffball. It is a jell fungus often referred to as "ear" or "Jew's ear" . They are not poison but not especially good eating. No real flavor and a gross texture. I would not eat them, much prefer Morrell, oyster, Sulphur chicken, hen of the woods, or chanterell.
Click to expand...
I've seen those jell fungus in our woods and Thumbcocker is right it looks more like a jell fungus than a puff ball. My puff balls retain their ball shape even through Winter a lot of times. Plus they have a clearly defined hole about 1/8" in diameter dead center in the top of the dome where the spores get ejected when disturbed. Also they have a dull dusty exterior no shine whatsoever.
 
Snakeoil

Snakeoil

Well-Known Member
Looks like we figured out what this is. I called Five Rivers which is part of our DEC agency. They went above and beyond to try and identify what this was. The passed it around the office and someone there eventually identified it as Exidia recisa . It is similar to Woodear fungus. Thumbcocker was on the right track.

Here is the link to the webpage that nailed it down. If you scroll down, you'll find a photo that is virtually identical to what I found in the yard.
www.myceliumsociety.com

The Ultimate Guide to Identifying Between Exidia and Wood Ear

This guide reveals the key characterstics to tell the difference between Exidia and Wood Ear mushrooms. Stop guessing and start identifying!
www.myceliumsociety.com www.myceliumsociety.com

It appears that this fungus grows on dead wood, and oak is mentioned in the article. My neighbor's yards is full of very old and very big oaks, with many dead branches. We had some horrendous winds a week or so ago and my yard is full of branches from those trees. My guess is the fungus was in those trees and got blown into my yard.

The fungus is edible. That is really all I cared about.

As a side note, I called poison control and could not even get anyone to answer the phone. But part of their message was an animal poison control hotline. So, I called that and after a very long recorded intro with choices for what your problem was, when I made a choice it said all calls were subject to a $94 min charge. I hung up. I found a website that also gave the impression it was emergency help. Once you answered a bunch of questions, they tell you that there are fees for talking to a Vet. Got out of that one, too.

I was going to ask our vet, but did not have to. I had also called the cooperative extension, which is part of Cornell Univ. They said that their master gardeners have no mushroom knowledge or training.

I was a bit amazed at how little help there is regarding poison mushrooms.

Thanks for all the responses. I truly appreciate the rapid response.
 
D

dale2242

Well-Known Member
I have no idea what your shroom is.
I have a number of mushroom ID books.
The VERY best is a pocket guide that fits easily in any pocket.
It is "All the Rain Promises and More" by David Aurora.
If you want to really get into mushroom ID get his " Mushrooms Demystified"
It`s a great book but all most too technical/scientific for me.
 
L Ross

L Ross

Well-Known Member
dale2242 said:
I have no idea what your shroom is.
I have a number of mushroom ID books.
The VERY best is a pocket guide that fits easily in any pocket.
It is "All the Rain Promises and More" by David Aurora.
If you want to really get into mushroom ID get his " Mushrooms Demystified"
It`s a great book but all most too technical/scientific for me.
Click to expand...
Okay Dale, we ordered them both. We do some foraging and more information is always good.
Thanks.
 
Tom

Tom

Well-Known Member
dale2242 said:
I have no idea what your shroom is.
I have a number of mushroom ID books.
The VERY best is a pocket guide that fits easily in any pocket.
It is "All the Rain Promises and More" by David Aurora.
If you want to really get into mushroom ID get his " Mushrooms Demystified"
It`s a great book but all most too technical/scientific for me.
Click to expand...
David is, in my mind, the mycelia guru! Don't know what he's doing now, but 20 years ago he was raising fungus near Olympia, Wa and selling spores and such.
 
Ian

Ian

Notorious member
Thumbcocker said:
Not a puffball. It is a jell fungus often referred to as "ear" or "Jew's ear" . They are not poison but not especially good eating. No real flavor and a gross texture. I would not eat them, much prefer Morrell, oyster, Sulphur chicken, hen of the woods, or chanterell.
Click to expand...

Oops, I was replying to Popper, what he hit with his mower was a Texas puffball. I looked up the jelly stuff and seems like that's for sure what Snakeoil has.
 
P

popper

Well-Known Member
I think it's wood fungus. It's on wood mulch and I just looked, barrel of mulch has white fungus on it too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.