Steve B

Could be some old Lycogala epidendrum or Wolf's Milk. It's a slime mold that starts out bright pink but then turns gray then potentially even brown as it gets very mature. https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/wolfs-milk-slime-toothpaste-slime

This definitely looks like a Ganoderma species and one of the species that is commonly known as Reishi. Do you know what kind of tree that is? Could it be a hemlock?

Yes this is a Laetiporus species known as Chicken of the Woods. This specimen looks a bit old and bleached out though and most likely is past it's prime.

Dave, just wanted to mention there is a good edible species of Pholiota, Pholiota adiposa that is actually relatively commonly cultivated species. However, they are only native to Europe, so not something you are likely to find in North America.

Well alright! Thanks Dave!

Thanks for the reply Dave! I appreciate it! I was leaning towards Leccinellum crocipodium but I didn't want to taint any responses so I wanted to see what was suggested first. Can you help me understand why you picked albellum or quercophilum? This is my first year really trying to ID boletes, so I'm still struggling.

Definitely.

Clitocybe was going to be my guess too.

Looks like it could be a Tricholoma species to me.

These were found one week ago in mid central illinois. They were growing in the mowed grass path going through a wooded area that is almost all hardwoods, mostly, oak, maple, and chestnut. I've found very similar mushrooms in the same area at least 3 times now.

They are definitely two different species in my opinion. Here's what Mushroom Expert says on the subject: "The separation of Pleurotus pulmonarius from the better-known, "true" oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus, is based on very good evidence that covers the three "species concepts" most commonly applied to fungi. In the laboratory, Pleurotus pulmonarius cannot "mate" with the other species in the oyster complex, so it is a good biological species. It also represents a fairly distinct morphological species, since it is paler (and frequently smaller) than the brownish Pleurotus ostreatus and appears to develop more of a stem, more of the time. DNA evidence supports Pleurotus pulmonarius as a phylogenetic species and, to top it all off, there is an ecological difference: it appears in warmer weather, appearing from late April through September, while Pleurotus ostreatus favors cold-weather conditions and appears from October through early April."