Magnificent Mushrooms! #9

DISCLAIMER: This post is for information and interest only and is not a definitive guide to mushroom identification. If you want to pick wild mushrooms to eat you should go with someone who is experienced so you can learn which mushrooms are edible and which are not.

Hi everyone! Welcome back to more magnificent mushrooms, which includes other types of fungi as well. And today we will look at one of those other fungus varieties, the Flat-Topped Club Fungus (C. truncatus). These are quite interesting fungi and quite common in our area. They like to grow under conifers, such as pine. All the ones I have found have been growing under both White and Red Pine in the thick mat of pine needles on the forest floor.

They can grow usually about 6 inches (15cm) tall, and sometimes more, with the top being up to 3 inches (7.5cm) wide. The top is flat, usually with a rolled edge but sometimes with a very abrupt edge. They are usually quite wrinkled as well. Normally they grow in loose clusters, but sometimes closer together.

Flat-Topped Club Fungus (C. truncatus).

There are several different club fungus varieties that can be found here, one is not edible, two are edible but very bitter and the one we are looking at today is a good edible variety. And it is easy to identify as well, which is nice. The one in my photo is about 5 inches (12.5cm) tall and close to 3 inches (7.5cm) across. Their main time to be found is from July to September in our area.

Here is another one, a little smaller than the one above.

I did not try eating them, I was too busy that day taking photos of the many mushrooms and other things that were around that day. I went back the next day to pick some and they were all gone. There were fresh deer tracks in the area, so I imagine that is what ate those club fungi. Oh well, maybe another time. I hope you enjoyed todays fungus, have a great day and God bless!

Steve and Muffin.

©2024 Steve McLeod.