This was our first scheduled walk of the season. George Johanson, a wild-food enthusiast and long-time member of the Connecticut-Westchester Mycological Association (COMA) led us into the spring woodlands toward our favorite places for finding morels. But alas, there were no morels to be found! When they appear is different every year and dependent upon the visicitudes of the weather. Perhaps with a few days of warm sunshine heating the forest floor, they will be coaxed to fruit. That is our expectation and hope.... The group was not dismayed. Observant eyes of children and adults alike were focused on finding anything fungal and as a result we had a great time discovering all sorts of inedible but curious specimens - as well as some beautiful wildflowers blooming in great profusion, a few abandoned snail shells and losts of red velvet mites.

Here is a list of our finds - most of which were found on rotting wood:
Ascomycetes: Asco on Spring Beauty; cup fungus on rotting wood; Xylobolus frustulatus
Polypores: Daedaleopsis confragosa; Daedalea quercina; Pornidulus conchifer; Lenzites betulina; Polyporus elegans; Trametes hirsutrum; Trametes versicolor; Trichaptum biformis
Stereum: Stereum complicatum; Stereum ostreatus;
Jelly Fungi: Exidia glandulosa; Tremella mesenterica
Gilled Agarics: Tubifera feruginosa