vitog

I don't think that Lyophyllum species grow on logs, at least not L. decastes.

They're well past the good eating stage, anyway.

Good memory, rbenn. It's interesting that the same types of mushrooms seem to have appeared in locations a continent apart and associated with the same plants. From the Wikipedia description, I guess that Leucocoprinus brebissonii is a European mushroom that has crossed the Atlantic in shipments of indoor plants.

I only discard the stalks when the caps are fully opened; at that stage the caps are most suitable for drying (they make a tasty mushroom powder). The stalks of the younger specimens are fine when sauteed.

The maggots are perfectly edible and can't hurt you. However, they do tend to promote rotting that could cause some problems. I once found a mass fruiting of Shrimp Russulas that were mostly quite mature, and their stems were riddled with maggots. Some animal, probably a bear, had eaten just the stems and left behind all of the caps.

The last two photos show a trace of rust-colored spores on the stem just below the cap; so, I'd bet on Cortinarius for this one, too, something like C. alboviolaceus.

They look like one of the Shaggy Parasols. If they are, a slice through the base of the stem should produce a pink stain.

I think that forum member ChefsWild described how he prepares old Chicken of the Woods mushrooms, but it was a complicated procedure.

The specimen pictured is too mature to be eaten without special preparation. They should be picked while the leading edge of the mushroom is still rounded; and, even then, only the outer, tender parts should be used.

Note that all of these specimens appear to be past the good edible stage. They won't kill you, but they will be tough and possible sour. I like to get them while the outer edges of the caps are still rounded.

These look like Hydnum repandum, a good edible that, from above, looks like a Chanterelle; and it is actually related to them and tastes pretty similar.

Blanching is just boiling them for a couple of minutes and then dipping in cold water to cool quickly before freezing them. I blanch most vegetables before freezing them, but I always stir fry mushrooms without oil until most of the water boils off, leaving enough water to cover them in the freezer bag.

It's a young Amanita still covered with scales from the universal veil. I don't know Amanitas very well, but it could be the yellow version of A. muscaria.

I use the back edge of the knife blade to dig, not the sharp one, and use cheap knives that I don't mind losing or dulling.

Binoculars would be very useful when looking for morels in burned mountainous areas. I've thought about it and had occasions when I wished I had binoculars but have not actually tried it.

This looks more like a puffball than a truffle. We need to see a cut section through the middle.

This looks like one of the smaller purple Russulas that I find in the same woods as R. xerampelina. The latter usually has a very firm stem compared to the smaller species, which I have never bothered to identify. If the stem of your specimen snapped easily, it is probably not as hard as that of the Shrimp russula, which also stains yellow and then brown. The gills of R. xerampelina are yellow, fruising brown.

For long term storage in a refrigerator, I prefer to use an uncovered mesh basket to allow air movement around the mushrooms. They will slowly dry out but are less likely to rot than mushrooms stored in an enclosed container. Chanterelles and morels will last a week or two this way, especially if they were dry when picked.

These are Chanterelles, but I'm not familiar with the eastern North American species.

If this is for real, he should contact someone at the nearest university with a mycology department and see if they are interested.

Is this the first time that it has been lifted off the ground?

We need to see an expanded cap that shows the gill structure and color. A spore print may also be useful, along with a photo of the entire stalk, including any underground portion.

Because the "teeth" are very small, that indicates that this is a young Hydnum specimen. It has the potential to grow quite a bit larger; so, it is likely H. repandum.

If you don't get much info here, you could try the UBC Botanical Gardens Forums. There are members with knowledge of lichens and some molds. Use the "Mushrooms, LIchens and Slime Molds" subforum under "Biodiversity".

Thanks, Tasso, I hadn't noticed the 3 dots; so, I wasn't aware of that report function.