Fungi, Lichen & Slime Molds 2

Another shot of this beautiful red mushroom, taken on 6th August at the Bentz Lake Natural Area. This glorious mushroom came as a total surprise - and made my day! "Russula emetica, commonly known as The Sickener, is a basidiomycete mushroom of the genus Russula, one of many species with a predominantly red-coloured cap and white gills and stalk. It gets its common name from its inedibility, as it causes vomiting and diarrhea when consumed. It has an extremely peppery taste, which is said partly to disappear on cooking, along with its toxicity, though eating it is not recommended. Mixing one emetica with otherwise edible red Russula will ruin the whole meal, and it is a common reason some do not pick any Russula-species." From Wikipedia. Not sure what happened to Flickr a bit earlier this evening - nothing but blank, white pages! I know I'm not the only one who had that.

"Hydnellum aurantiacum is an inedible fungus, commonly known as the orange tooth or orange Hydnellum for its reddish orange or rusty red colored fruiting bodies. Like other tooth fungi, it bears a layer of spines rather than gills on the underside of the cap. Due to substantial declines in sightings, this species is listed as critically endangered in the United Kingdom. The upper surface is orange or orange-brown in the centre, with a lighter margin. It may be velvety or tomentose when young, but will become wrinkled or lumpy in age ..... This species is inedible, due to the toughness of the flesh." From Wikipedia. This one was seen on 12th September in the West Bragg Creek Natural Area.

A dark Lichen found growing on a rock at Bragg Creek Provincial Park on 20th August. My Lichen photos are, no doubt, of very little interest to most of you, but I do want to include them in my Fungi, Lichen and Slime Molds Sets : ) Some lichens are glorious colours, but others, like this one, are dark and rather unappealing to those who don't study them. I think this is Umbilicaria hyperborea, 'Blistered Rock Tripe' - Doug Waylett has a similar photo on his photostream, with this ID.

A couple of white mushrooms growing in Bragg Creek Provincial Park, on 20th August.

Thought this little mushroom was a bit different - love the unusual pattern on its cap. Seen growing along the Fullerton Loop trail in Kananaskis on 29th August.

This lovely fresh, glistening mushroom was growing in Bragg Creek Provincial Park on 20th August. Roll on next August, LOL!

What you can see when you look close : ) This tiny patch of orange lichen was growing on a rock at Erik Butters' ranchland, in Benchlands, north west of Calgary.

This mushroom was growing in Bragg Creek Provincial Park on 8th August. The light in the forest was really poor, so it's not the greatest quality photo, but there's just something I like about it : )

Having given up hope of finding any more fungi before next August, it was a nice surprise to come across this one, growing high on a tree trunk, when I was on a walk from Stanley Park to Sandy Beach the other day. Unfortunately, I wasn't tall enough to be able to look down on the cap.