Hobbies And Interests
Amanitas
Amanitas are a genus of mushroom found in North Carolina as the species amanita, Caesar's amanita and fly agaric. Amanitas have hallucinatory properties, and are deadly, especially the fly agaric. They have light-colored gills or striations underneath the cap and the gills do not touch the stem. They are fairly dry mushrooms and usually have rings on the stems.
Armillaria Tabescens
The armillaria tabescens is a ringless mushroom that grows in clusters. They are a pale brown or tan color, although they may have a yellowish tinge to them. These mushrooms crop up after heavy rainfall, particularly on rotted oak trunks or fallen oak limbs. They are smooth to the touch.
Bloodfoot Mushroom
Bloodfoot mushrooms are tan with purplish-red centers at the tops of the caps. They grow in clusters in Orange County and nearby areas and have deep, well-defined gills under the caps. The stems are thin, straight and purplish colored. If you pick a bloodfoot mushroom, the stem emits a reddish liquid.
Hairy Bollete
Hairy bolletes are tan mushrooms with a darker tan texture toward the end of the cap. The cap is noticeably domed from the side and sit atop a curved, similarly speckled stem. These mushrooms have a hairy feel to them and a spongy underside. They grow in damp soil on the forest floor.
Coral Fungus
Coral fungus is another larger group of mushrooms that appear in North Carolina. From a mycological standpoint, some may be quite safe, while others are dangerously poisonous. The coral mushrooms that appear in North Carolina are tightly bunched with branches that give way to secondary branch splits.
Earth Star
Earth Stars have petal-like growths that surround a tan cap with a whitish center. They are tiny button mushrooms, which means they grow attached to the ground without a stem. Earth Satars grow under coniferous trees and may have a powdery residue. As they mature, they will open a small hole in the top of the cap to release spores.