djg

I was out in my small woods (Central Illinois) yesterday and was suprised to see a patch of Gyromitra caroliniana. I've never seen them this early in the year. They must have flushed around the 1st of March. It has been a few warm days but still April has been the earliest I've seen them. How much later do the true morels show up? I thought these false show up about a week or two. Will it be an early season?

Thanks. How do you distinguish M. americana from M. esculentoides?

I've been losing spots to development over the years and I was about to give up today. On my third small spot I ran onto these beauties, albeit a little old. Largest was 8-1/2". Found 35 around one tree in a 8 ' x 8' patch. Best find ever. Many were in the 6" range. I call them just yellow Morels, but I don't know if there is a large variety or not. I started cutting them and then decided to go back to my truck and grab my camera. These cut ones were found in the frame of this picture. Tightest grouping I've ever found.

Well, the Reds have started popping up in my yard and I'm under the impression that Morels start usually a week later. Is that correct?

Last one (for now). Yard mushroom around my wood piles take at different locations. I think the first is just a juvenile version of the second and the cap hasn't fully opened yet. Will keep an eye on it in the next few days. The ring on the stem is attached and does not slide up or down. As you can tell, I know very little about mushrooms and I rely on photos from books to get me close. Not set up for spore printing yet, either.

I was impressed by the thick stalk.

Looks like only three more.

Interesting color. Not much else to say.

Well, I might as well post the rest. Getting bored?? These formed a fairly ring in a hardwood forest around decayed matter. Only two inches tall at the time. Never got back to check on status. I will this sweek if they are still there.

Found out in a mowed area. Hard shell; can't say much more.

Found along the edge of the woods. Several clumps of them; not individuals. Due to that fact, I did not harvest them. At first, I thought they were Chantelles, but then maybe Jack-O-Lanterns.

These are yard mushrooms forming a fairy ring around White Pine trees. Yellow surface underneath with pores instead of gills.

I've been out a couple times this early Fall here in the Midwest IL), and ran across a couple of mushrooms that are new to me. So, I'll post them individually and number them #1, #2, etc. What I'm really interested in is learning how you identify these mushrooms. Short of going to the pictures in books, what are your criteria for identifying each one. I have two "Edible" mushroom books that I can go through, but that doesn't seem too scientific. So here's #1. Found along the edge of a hardwoods.

That's what I thought, but Honeys were mentioned.....

Unfamiliar with a lot of mushrooms talked about here. What's the one in the photo?