This was a very pleasant mushroom identification walk at a beautiful Saw Mill Audubon Society sponsored park that is linked to other parks in the Croton area. Aside from myself, the day's participants included the walk leader, Peggy DeGasperis, her husband Joe and enthusiastic son, Wesley. With all the rain we have had recently, it is not surprising that we found evidence that the Myxomycetes, or 'Slime Molds' are making an appearance on nearly every log we encountered along the sanctuary's well-cared for paths. We also found an assortment of wood-decaying fungi. Here is the list:
Jelly Fungi: Tremella mesenterica (also know as Mesenterica lutescens), Auricularia auricula, Exidia recisa
Polypores: Polyporus badius, Polyporus arcularius, Polyporus elegans, Trametes versicolor, Trametes hirsutum, Cerenna unicolor, Trichaptum biformis, Phellinus rimosus, Ganoderma applanatum, Fomes fomentarius
Stereums: Stereum complicatum
Gilled Mushrooms: Schizophyllum commune, Crepidotus mollis, Crepidotus applanatus, Marasmius sp., Tubaria furfuracea, Pluteus cervinus, Psyatherella candolleana, Psyathyrella hydrophila, and something that looked a lot like Gymnopilus spectabilis!
Myxomycetes: Stemonitis fusca, Stemonitis sp., Lycogala epidendrum, Arcyria denudata