Phaeolus schweinitzii
My contribution to FungiFriday by ewkaw
Happy #FungiFriday, we made it through another week. Today I am presenting this beautiful Dyer's Polypore (Phaeolus schweinitzii) which I found last fall. This polypore is unusual in that it appears terrestrially rather than on the host tree. It seems to spring from the root system. They specialize in conifer trees (firs, larch, pine, etc).
There were many sprouting from the ground with this orange to yellow coloration. These ones seem brighter than the ones I have found online but like all fungi the coloration is variable and can lead you astray. It could be a young growth. It's something close at least!
Last fall was a great season for mushrooms here in New England since we had such a rainy summer. Hurricane after hurricane swept through and that really soaked the mycelium. This abundance coincided with a popular fungi documentary's release resulting in participation at the local mycological clubs reaching an all-time high. Fungi are the future 😉
These fungi have a velvety top but are actually pretty tough, wood-like even. Below is a shot to view its comparative size. This one was greater than 12cm wide.
Have a good weekend!
Now it's mushroom season in the States I imagine we will be treated to many amazing fungi. Morel season here but I've no idea where to go.
Hmm you can try looking on iNaturalist for a start...not many observations for Australia but maybe you can add some if you find any morels. I plugged in the Morchella genus for the below map.
I hear in California there are morels that come up a year or two after wildfires. Might be worth checking depending where you are.