Fungi, Lichen & Slime Molds 3

Just two small mushrooms growing on a rotting log at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park on August 20th. We found a fair number of species while we were botanizing, but this seems to be a poor year for fungi, compared to the last two or three years. We need rain, as everywhere is bone dry. Some of the photos I'll be posting are not exactly amazing, but I do want to keep a record of what is growing in this park (and elsewhere). Bear with me : )

After a very quick drive out westwards from the city yesterday afternoon, and discovering that the wildflowers - other than purple Asters! - were finished and that fall really is just around the corner, I decided to call in at Shannon Terrace, Fish Creek Park, on the way home, for a short walk. Everywhere was as dry as can be and I hadn't expected to find any fungi. However, I did come across four or five species, the most beautiful of which was this little heap of quite small Puffballs. Made my day : )

I used to call any tiny fungus that looked like this and was growing on a fallen branch or log, Splitgills. However, I seem to remember that there is a similar fungus that has gills that are not split, but can't remember what it's called. The gills in my image aren't split, so I'm not sure what the proper ID is for this. Photographed at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park on August 20th.

My focus wasn't the greatest - or I could tell you that I deliberately focussed on the stalk area, lol! Thought I'd post it anyway. This is the underside of the little fungus with the drooping cap - topside image posted a few days ago. Taken at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park on August 25th. This was one of the few fungi that I found that afternoon. We've had rain the last two days - after I did a desperate rain dance, ha! Just kidding! So, maybe a few more mushrooms will appear in the near future?

Not the most photogenic mushroom, but I wanted to upload it so that I could add it to one of my photo sets. Seen on August 20th at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park. Everywhere has been so dry and the fungi in short supply. We've had rain for the last two days, so with a bit of luck, a few more fungi might appear before the season is over.

A chunky mushroom, photographed in West Bragg Creek on August 27th.

These are one of my favourite kinds of mushroom to find, so I was very happy to come across two or three clusters at the base of trees in the forest at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park the last time I went, on August 25th.

Guttation is "a term used in botany to describe the process by which plants excrete excess water through drops from their leaves. For some mushrooms this is so common that it is a reliable identification feature, while for others it is virtually unknown." Photographed this young Red-belted Polypore on August 20th at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park.

I don't know the ID for this fungus, but it was quite beautiful. Photographed on a botanizing hike at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park on August 20th.