Common Stinkhorn Mushroom

Scientific Name(s): Phallus impudicus
Abundance: uncommon
What: inner part of "egg"
How: cooked
Where: woods, mulch
When: winter
Nutritional Value:
Dangers: mature ones smell really bad

Growth Form: Phallus impudicus typically emerges from an egg-like structure and grows rapidly to its full height of 4"-6" tall.

Cap Shape and Size: The cap is 1.5 to 2 inches high, with a conical head that is covered in a greenish-brown, slimy spore mass.

Gills or Pores: This species does not have traditional gills or pores; instead, the spore mass is located on the head of the cap.

Stipe Characteristics: The stipe is 3 to 5 inches tall and 1 to 1.5 inches thick, white, and hollow, with a spongy texture.

Odor: Known for its strong, unpleasant odor, often described as fetid or carrion-like.

Bruising: The flesh of the stipe is brittle and does not show significant bruising.

Spore Color: The spore print is olive-brown.

Substrate and Habitat: Commonly found in forests, yards, and other areas rich in organic matter.

Other Characteristics: Notable for its phallic shape when mature. The egg-like structure from which it emerges is white to pale yellow.  

Mature common stinkhorn mushroom.


Common stinkhorn eggs.


Close-up of common stinkhorn egg.


Common stinkhorn egg starting to "hatch".


Common stinkhorn egg cut in half. The inner spongy, off-white part is the edible section.


Very young, bisected stinkhorn egg.


Really, there's no part of the lifecycle of the common stinkhorn mushroom where it doesn't look disgusting. At best, they'll look like a cluster of mottled, alien eggs poking up through mulch. At worst, they look like the remains of a grotesque crime! And at the "crime" stage they have the added benefit of smelling very much like dog poo. And yet, people figured out they're edible. Humans have gone through some pretty hungry times!

Somewhat more common in the winter, these strange mushrooms seem to prefer growing in piles of mulch or other loose, organic matter. As mentioned above, they'll look like a cluster of red/orange/brown/gray mottled eggs poking out of the mulch. Slightly older ones will have begun to split across the top as a gray-tip...rod...begins erecting itself. As it grows a pale shaft appears beneath the gray, shrouded tip. At this point that tip-shroud will smell like dog poo. The shaft is fairly weak and so rather than sticking upright it'll sag limply over, ending up laying across the ground.

The only edible portion is the early "egg", plucked before the top begins to split and with the outer layers removed to just leave the white/cream-colored, spongy part. At this point the mushroom has a mild, almost pleasant smell. This peeled egg is then diced up and cooked with eggs or other items. Basically treat it like most other mushrooms but definitely cook it.

As far as toxic mimics go, there are other stinkhorns that burst out of eggs but none look a humanly...phallic...as Phallus impudicus. Others will be red in color or consist of four tentacle-like limbs joined at the top. All of them will stink as they use flies to spread their spores.

Stinky dog mushroom (Mutinus caninus)


Columned Stinkhorn (Clathrus columnatus)


There are both edible and poisonous mimics of the young "eggs", however.

Edible puffball mushrooms are a homogenous white color.


Poisonous Earthball mushrooms have an off-white skin around a dark center.



Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Reishi Mushrooms

Scientific Name(s): Ganoderma curtisii, Ganoderma sessile, Ganoderma tsugae
Abundance: rare
What: mushroom
How: tea, tincture
Where: woods, pine stumps, oak trees, wood duff
When: spring, summer, fall
Nutritional Value: very medicinal
Dangers: normal mushroom cautions apply

COLLECTING MUSHROOM REQUIRES 100% CERTAINTY. WWW.FORAGINGTEXAS.COM ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR IDENTIFICATION ERRORS BY ANY READERS.

Ganoderma curtisii Structural Features:

Growth Form: Ganoderma curtisii typically grows as a solitary bracket or in small groups on tree trunks and stumps.

Cap Shape and Size: The cap is kidney or fan-shaped, measuring 2 to 8 inches across. It has a woody texture and is brown to reddish-brown with a varnished appearance.

Gills or Pores: This species has pores rather than gills. The pore surface is white to light brown.

Stipe Characteristics: If present, the stipe is short and lateral, with a similar color and texture to the cap.

Odor: Ganoderma curtisii typically does not have a distinctive odor.

Bruising: The flesh does not change color significantly on bruising.

Spore Color: The spore print is brown.

Substrate and Habitat: Commonly found on hardwoods, especially oaks and other deciduous trees.

Other Characteristics: The mushroom is inedible due to its tough, woody texture.

Ganoderma sessile Structural Features:

Growth Form: Ganoderma sessile typically grows solitarily or in small groups on tree trunks and stumps.

Cap Shape and Size: The cap is fan or hoof-shaped, measuring 2 to 10 inches across. It is reddish-brown to dark brown with a shiny, varnished surface.

Gills or Pores: This species has pores instead of gills. The pore surface is white to light brown.

Stipe Characteristics: Ganoderma sessile typically does not have a distinct stipe, as it grows directly from the wood.

Odor: This fungus usually does not have a notable odor.

Bruising: The flesh does not change color significantly on bruising.

Spore Color: The spore print is brown.

Substrate and Habitat: Commonly found on deciduous trees, particularly oaks and maples.

Other Characteristics: It is also recognized for its tough, woody texture, making it inedible.  

Reishi (Ganoderma sessile) mushrooms growing from an oak.


Reishi (Ganoderma sessile) mushrooms growing on a fallen tree.


Fresh topside of a Reishi (Ganoderma curtisii) mushroom. The stem, if present, is always off-center making it look kind of like the saucer-section of the starship Enterprise. ;-)


Underside of the same mushroom shown above. Note it has pores instead of gills.


Reishi (Ganoderma curtisii) mushrooms harvested from a dead root beneath the forest floor. These are just past the time to harvest and will not have much medicinal value. The lower, left-hand mushroom is upside down to show the bottom which has turned from white to yellowish.


Young Reishi (Ganoderma curtisii) growing on an oak tree stump under a birdbath (March in Houston).


Same Reishi in early April.


Same Reishi in late April.


Same Reishi in May. The beige powder everywhere is Reishi mushroom spores.


Same Reishi (Ganoderma curtisii) mushrooms in June.



The only public lands you can legally harvest mushrooms are National forests and grasslands.

Reishi mushrooms abound throughout the wooded areas of Texas. Most commonly found growing at the base of dead pine tree stumps, they will also be seen poking up through the pine needles and wood duff of forest floors. Dying hardwood trees such as oaks, sweetgums, elms and locusts are also common homes for these shiny, red mushrooms. Spores of Reishi are brown so make spore prints on white paper. These are hard, woody mushrooms. Originally from the tropics, look for them during hot weather though old, dry, unusable ones can be found all year long.

Being polypores, these mushrooms do not have any gills on their underside. Instead, the bottom of fresh Reishi mushrooms will appear white and smooth, but upon closer inspection/magnification many tiny holes/pores will be seen. This mushroom, especially when growing from the forest floor, will often be kidney-shaped with the stem located at the center of the back/non-curved edge of the mushroom. When growing directly from a dead/dying tree Reishi mushrooms will grow flush off the tree bark and be fan shaped, usually with no stem. The topside of Reishi while be a shiny red, looking as if it were coated with a varnish, while the bottom will be white. There may occasionally be layers of red or white in between the top and bottom. The stems, when present, will be the same red as the top of the Reishi.

The medicinal benefits of this mushroom are almost legendary. It contains compounds that function as anti-virals, anti-tumor and anti-cancer, antibiotics, immune system stimulants, respiratory aids, antioxidants, anti-aging and more. The traditional method to consume these mushrooms is to grind dried Reishi into a fine powder which is then used to make a tea or added to coffee. Once dried, these mushrooms are very tough and hard to grind so a good mortar and pestle are needed or a very powerful coffee grinder.

Another way to extract the medicinal properties of these mushrooms is by making an alcohol tincture. Shredded Reishi are soaked in 80-100 proof alcohol. Half-fill a jar with chopped/shredded Reishi then add enough alcohol to fill it twice as high as the Reishi. Tightly cap then vigorously shake the bottle. Shake it 1-2 times a day for six weeks then strain out any mushrooms solids. Place the filtered tincture in a colored, stoppered bottle and store in a cool, dark place. Traditionally, 3-5 drops of this tincture would be taken daily, though do not consider this medical advice.

Often the alcohol-extracted mushroom material was then be boiled in water to extract any water-soluble medicinal molecules. Starting with twice as much water (by weight) as mushrooms, this was boiled down to half. The decoction was allowed to cool, solids were strained out, and then added to an equal amount of the alcohol tincture. This gave a solution that was over 40% alcohol which was enough to preserve it. The dosage of this solution was still 3-5 drops a day.

A comprehensive review of the medicinal properties, including many scientific journal referneces, of Reishi mushrooms can found in MycoMedicinals.

The only mimic to Reishi mushrooms are Red-Belted Brackets (Fomitopsis pinicola) which are native to Europe. Being polypores, Red-Belted Brackets are non-toxic though care should always be used when trying a new mushroom. These mushrooms produce yellow spores and grow into thick, many-layered "conks".

When identifying mushrooms always cross reference them with several books to achieve the proper level of certainty. I'm not trying to sell you books, I'm trying to help you avoid a mistake.


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Turkey Tail Mushrooms

Scientific Name(s): Trametes versicolor, also called Coriolus versicolor
Abundance: common
What: mushroom
How: tea, tincture
Where: dead trees
When: spring, summer, fall, winter
Nutritional Value: medicinal
Dangers: while not poisonous, the from the mimic False Turkey Tail crust mushroom (Stereum ostrea) don't taste as good.

COLLECTING MUSHROOM REQUIRES 100% CERTAINTY. WWW.FORAGINGTEXAS.COM ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR IDENTIFICATION ERRORS BY ANY READERS.

Growth Form: Trametes versicolor typically grows in overlapping clusters on logs and stumps.

Cap Shape and Size: The caps are small, fan-shaped or semicircular, typically 1 to 4 inches across and 1/8 inch thick. The surface is distinctly multicolored, with zones of brown, tan, white, blue, and other colors. Bands alternate between smooth and velvety textures.

Gills or Pores: This species has pores rather than gills. The pores are small and round, white to light brown.

Stipe Characteristics: Trametes versicolor usually does not have a noticeable stipe, as the caps grow directly out of the wood.

Odor: It generally does not have a distinctive odor.

Bruising: The flesh is too tough for bruising to be noticeable.

Spore Color: The spore print is white to light yellow.

Substrate and Habitat: Commonly found on dead hardwood, particularly beech and birch, but also on conifers.

Other Characteristics: The mushroom is inedible due to its tough texture but makes a delicious mushroom broth.

Turkey Tail mushroom clusters. Many different colors are possible.



Close-up of top of Turkey Tail mushroom. This one is slightly larger than a US quarter coin.


Close-up of bottom of Turkey Tail mushroom. This one is slightly larger than a US quarter coin.



MIMICS!
Topside view of False Turkey Tails mushrooms (Stereum ostrea). 


Underside view of the "crust" covering most of the dead log. This crust has a smooth surface and lacks the pores of Trametes versicolor


The underside of mimic Gilled Polypore (Trametes betulina) has gills rather than pores underneath. Don't eat/drink it.



North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.


The only public lands in Texas you can legally harvest mushrooms are National forests and grasslands. Check the rules and regulations for your state to stay out of trouble. Some national forests require you to purchase a mushroom harvesting license.

Turkey Tail mushrooms are one of the most powerful wood decomposers in the forest and can be found on just about any dead tree. When young and fresh they really do look like the multicolored, striped fan-shaped tails of turkeys. They have bands of red, brown, white, and gray as well as yellow and even purple. They often grow in thick, overlapping patches on dead hardwood and softwood trees though the mushrooms themselves are quite thin.They will grow parallel to the ground and have a slight bowl shape with the lowest point being its attachment to the tree. They will be fan-shaped ranging from half-circles to almost full circles. They give white spore prints.

There are several very similar mushrooms so to be sure you have Turkey Tails ALL the following details must be met:
1. They are polypores. Turkey Tails will not have gills on their underside but many tiny pores from which spores are released.
2. These pores are extremely small but still visible to normal eyes, numbering 3-8 per millimeter. A magnifying glass helps see them properly. If only 1-3 pores per millimeter you have some other Trametes species
3. The topside feels velvety/fuzzy due to many tiny hairs. A magnifying glass will also help to see these hairs.
4. Is the top of the mushroom white to grayish? If so, you do NOT have a Turkey Tail but likely the related, Trametes hirsuta, species.
5. Do the colored zones blend/run together or do they have sharply-defined boundaries? If not sharply define it is likely you have Trametes pubescens.
6. The mushroom must be flexible yet thin. Stiff mushrooms are probably Trametes ochracea.

Turkey Tail tea has a lovely mushroomy flavor. Collect five fresh mushrooms about the size of a quarter. Chop these up and boil them in one cup of water for ten minutes. After boiling them ad a bit of cold water to bring the volume back up to one cup. Strain out the mushroom bits (don't eat them) then drink it once it has cooled off enough to imbibe safely.

Scientific studies have shown Turkey Tail mushrooms contain a number of anticancer and antibiotic compounds, though this information is NOT to be considered medical advice.

Tea made from the fresh mushrooms is a traditional method of accessing these medicinal molecules. Also, an alcohol extract of Turkey Tails can be used to access the medicinal properties of these mushrooms. Half-fill a jar with chopped/shredded Turkey Tails then add enough vodka or other 100-proof alcohol to cover the mushrooms with 1" alcohol above the mushrooms. Tightly cap then vigorously shake the bottle. Shake it 1-2 times a day for six weeks then strain out any mushrooms solids. Place the filtered tincture in a colored, stoppered bottle and store in a cool, dark place. Traditionally, 3-5 drops of this tincture would be taken daily, though do NOT consider this medical advice.

Often the alcohol-extracted mushroom material was then be boiled in water to extract any water-soluble medicinal molecules. Starting with twice as much water (by weight) as mushrooms, this was boiled down to half. The decoction was allowed to cool, solids were strained out, and then added to an equal amount of the alcohol tincture. This gave a solution that was 25% alcohol which was enough to preserve it. The dosage of this solution was still 3-5 drops a day.

A comprehensive review of the medicinal properties, including many scientific journal referneces, of Turkey Tails mushrooms can found in MycoMedicinals.

When identifying mushrooms always cross reference them with several books to achieve the proper level of certainty. I'm not trying to sell you books, I'm trying to help you avoid a mistake.



Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Wood's Ear Mushrooms

Scientific Name(s): Auricularia americana
Abundance: uncommon
What: mushroom body
How: in soup
Where: dead trees, especially elderberry trunks
When: spring, summer, fall, winter
Nutritional Value: protein, iron, calcium, phosphorous
Dangers: don not mistake Raisin Jelly Cup (Ascotremella faginea) for Wood's Ears.

COLLECTING MUSHROOM REQUIRES 100% CERTAINTY. WWW.FORAGINGTEXAS.COM ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR IDENTIFICATION ERRORS BY ANY READERS.

Growth Form: Auricularia americana, known as "jelly ear," grows in clusters on hardwood or conifer wood, often in cooler, wet conditions.

Cap Shape and Size: Cap is wavy, ear-shaped to irregular, approximately 1 to 4 inches across, thinner than 1/4", and attached to wood along one strip.

Gills or Pores: Lacks gills or pores, features a finely hairy lower surface when young.

Stipe Characteristics: Does not have a stipe.

Odor: Not distinctive.

Bruising: Does not show bruising (color change) when scratched or pressed.

Spore Color: Produces white spores.

Substrate and Habitat: Saprobic on decaying hardwood; found in spring, summer, and fall.

Other Characteristics: Upper surface brown to fuzzy gray and less wrinkled than underside. Lower surface is dark brown and smooth skinned but with ridges.

Clusters of Wood's Ear mushrooms. Note the gray tops and brown/dark purple undersides.








Close-up of the topside and edge of Wood's Ear.


Close-up of the bottom side. Note the ridges just like a human's ear.


Assorted Wood's Ear ready for cooking.


The only public lands you can legally harvest mushrooms are National forests and grasslands.

Mushrooms of all types spring up after a heavy rains but few are as distinctive as the brown-gray, rubbery Wood's Ear. They appear only on dead wood which they slowly break down. Wood Ear mushrooms prefer the dead trunks of Elderberry bushes but pretty much any hardwood can be overrun by these oddities of nature any time of the year as long as hard rains have recently fallen. Shady areas are more likely to have a growth of Wood's Ear as these cooler spots don't dry out as quickly.

Wood Ear's actually do look like ears in size and rough shape. Often they will form upside down cup shapes when young (~1" across) and then widening out into broad fans as they mature. However big they grow these mushroom never thicken, remaining under 1/4" thick. The topside of these mushrooms is usually gray and powdery. Underneath they are shiny, dark-brown to very dark-purple. Held up to the light Wood's Ear are semi-translucent rather than opaque.

If the rains stop and dry weather appears the Wood's Ear mushrooms will shrink down to half their size and harden into a shell-like mass. Once shrunk, the gray exterior is still easily recognized. These dried mushrooms can be harvested from the tree and stored for use later.

Wood's Ear mushrooms are the traditional Black mushrooms used in Chinese Hot and Sour soup. Tasteless by themselves, they readily absorb the flavors of whatever broth they are immersed. Cut the mushrooms, either fresh or dried, into finger-sized strips and add them to soups, hot pots, pot roasts, or any other dish that involves a broth.

Beware the somewhat similar looking Raisin Jelly Cup Mushrooms. The inedible Jelly Cups grow as lumpy, brain-like clumps instead of the flat, ear-like shape of Wood's Ear mushrooms.


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Elm Oyster Mushroom

 Scientific Name(s): Hypsizygus ulmarius

Abundance: uncommon
What: cap, stem
How: cooked
Where: on dead wood
When: fall, winter, spring
Nutritional Value: 
Dangers: Don't mistake Jack O'Lantern mushrooms (Omphalotus olearius) for oyster mushrooms.

COLLECTING MUSHROOM REQUIRES 100% CERTAINTY. WWW.FORAGINGTEXAS.COM ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR IDENTIFICATION ERRORS BY ANY READERS.

Growth Form: Hypsizygus ulmarius often grows in clusters, typically on living or dead wood of deciduous trees, with elms being their preferred substrate. They often have a more "toadstool" shape than common oyster mushrooms.

Cap Shape and Size: The cap is initially convex, becoming more flattened with age, measuring 3 to 6 inches in diameter. It is white to cream in color, sometimes with a brownish center.

Gills or Pores: The gills are white, becoming cream-colored with age, and are attached or slightly running down the stem (adnate to subdecurrent).

Stipe Characteristics: The stipe is 1 to 3 inches long and 0.5 to 1.5 inches thick, white, sometimes scaly, and sometimes enlarges at the base.

Odor: This species typically has a mild, not distinctive odor.

Bruising: There is no significant color change on bruising.

Spore Color: The spore print is white.

Substrate and Habitat: Found predominantly on hardwoods, especially elm, and beech trees.

Other Characteristics: Known for its preference for growing on elm trees and its thick, meaty flesh. The mushroom is edible and valued for its texture and mild flavor.

Young elm oyster (Hypsizygus ulmarius) mushrooms growing on a dead tree.


Same mushrooms from a slightly different angle.


Another elm oyster from two angles.

The most apparent difference between common and elm oyster mushrooms is the stipe. Elm oysters will generally have a thick, round stipe 1"-2" long whereas the common oyster is usually attached directly to the tree without a distinct stipe.

Use these just as you would any store-bought white, button mushroom...but be sure to cook it. Wild mushrooms will always have a certain amount of bugs, bug larva, and bug eggs in them, so cooking is necessary to kill the extra, protein-filled critters.

Elm oysters prefer hardwoods, especially damaged elm trees. You will not find them on pines or cedars.

Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.