 Mushrooms and One Imposter
Mushrooms have burst forth, in lawns and woodlands, in response to the rain we have been receiving in Maine. The photo montage below shows just a few of the varieties, plus one imposter, that I found growing within 30-feet of each other.
Mushrooms - with one plant that is often mistaken for a mushroom. Can you spot the imposter? All photos in this montage by Jocelyn Hubbell.
Interesting Facts
- A mycologist is a person who studies fungi, which include molds, yeast, and mushrooms.
- Edible varieties of mushrooms have poisonous look-a-likes. So, you need to be a mushroom expert in order to collect and eat wild mushrooms.
- Truffels are fungi that grow completely underground. Some varieties are highly prized for eating and their collectors often use pigs to sniff them out.
- Deer truffles are not the prized edibles, but they are an important food source for wildlife and benefit the forest. Read on in this article about University of New Hampshire students finding five new truffle species in 2017.
Activities for Children and the Young at Heart
- Can you spot the mushroom imposter in the photo montage of mushrooms above? Look for the one that looks like a white pipe (as in a pipe used for smoking) pushing up out of the ground. It is called a Ghost Pipe and is not a mushroom at all but a true flowering plant. View photos and learn more.
- Play Mushroom Match Up by using the photos above and this Fungi of Northern Maine webpage by iNaturalist. Can you find mushrooms on their page that look like the photos above?
- Make a list of the children's stories you've heard or read that mention mushrooms. How were they featured in each story? Why?
- Go out on a mushroom hike to see how many varieties you can draw or photograph. Consider joining in on a walk with the Maine Mycological Association.
- As you learn about mushrooms, note the variety of colors. We've all been taught that the color red means stop or is a warning... but are all poisonous mushrooms red? Look up the Destroying Angel. What color is it?
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