Mushroom identification

Mushroom identification to the average person seems difficult at first. But luckily, in this time we are in the the age of information and plenty of articles or books can be found. Some good websites for people starting out are mushroomobserver.org where people can vote on the species mushroom you've found. Also, shroomery.org message forums are a great place for help for much of anything concerning fungi. Other various forums work well too but sometimes it may take a bit of getting to know people before you get help. Books can be bought on Amazon or at local book stores. I've felt quite confident myself while using a field guide mushroom hunting. The descriptions of habitats helps quite a lot as well. Most books contain simple keys to identification, plus location of your discovered fungi helps zero down the possible choices. Still, some mushrooms require microscope work for further measurements in order to identify.

Psilocybe cyanescens, a video

I found these all growing downhill and had to take a video. Don't forget to hit the like or subscribe button if you liked it. :)



These were found near the edge of a conifer line in an extremely public park. This season, the patch has been going since November and I've still been finding a few every week I go. Psilocybe mushrooms; especially cyanescens, really like public and lots of traffic. I've noticed with this patch in certain there was always deer poop and some of the woodchips moved away which makes me think either squirrels or deer are the reason they have spread to this location. Sometimes the busiest areas host them and nobody bothers, meanwhile others will rip them up at first glance.

Mushroom indentification for everyone

So you're probably wondering how to figure out exactly which mushrooms are good and what is bad? The first step would be getting a book. Libraries have been known to have mushrooms books but are rarely in stock. The best place I would recommend is Amazon. A few good authors are Paul Stamets, David Aurora and Gary Lincoff. They all have various books for areas as some states wont have the same mushrooms. "All that rain promises and more" by David Aurora was my first book and it pretty much covered everything that I came across for the most part. A better, more in-depth book by the same author is "Mushrooms Demystified". Its almost too much information to take in all at once but a great guide that includes it all.

Privacy Policy / Terms of Service

Web Site Terms and Conditions of Use

1. Terms

By accessing this web site, you are agreeing to be bound by these web site Terms and Conditions of Use, all applicable laws and regulations, and agree that you are responsible for compliance with any applicable local laws. If you do not agree with any of these terms, you are prohibited from using or accessing this site. The materials contained in this web site are protected by applicable copyright and trade mark law.

2. Use License

1. Permission is granted to temporarily download one copy of the materials (information or software) on pnwmushrooms's web site for personal, non-commercial transitory viewing only. This is the grant of a license, not a transfer of title, and under this license you may not:
   1. modify or copy the materials;
   2. use the materials for any commercial purpose, or for any public display (commercial or non-commercial);
   3. attempt to decompile or reverse engineer any software contained on pnwmushrooms's web site;
   4. remove any copyright or other proprietary notations from the materials; or
   5. transfer the materials to another person or "mirror" the materials on any other server.
2. This license shall automatically terminate if you violate any of these restrictions and may be terminated by pnwmushrooms at any time. Upon terminating your viewing of these materials or upon the termination of this license, you must destroy any downloaded materials in your possession whether in electronic or printed format.

3. Disclaimer

1. The materials on pnwmushrooms's web site are provided "as is". pnwmushrooms makes no warranties, expressed or implied, and hereby disclaims and negates all other warranties, including without limitation, implied warranties or conditions of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement of intellectual property or other violation of rights. Further, pnwmushrooms does not warrant or make any representations concerning the accuracy, likely results, or reliability of the use of the materials on its Internet web site or otherwise relating to such materials or on any sites linked to this site.

4. Limitations

In no event shall pnwmushrooms or its suppliers be liable for any damages (including, without limitation, damages for loss of data or profit, or due to business interruption,) arising out of the use or inability to use the materials on pnwmushrooms's Internet site, even if pnwmushrooms or a pnwmushrooms authorized representative has been notified orally or in writing of the possibility of such damage. Because some jurisdictions do not allow limitations on implied warranties, or limitations of liability for consequential or incidental damages, these limitations may not apply to you.

5. Revisions and Errata

The materials appearing on pnwmushrooms's web site could include technical, typographical, or photographic errors. pnwmushrooms does not warrant that any of the materials on its web site are accurate, complete, or current. pnwmushrooms may make changes to the materials contained on its web site at any time without notice. pnwmushrooms does not, however, make any commitment to update the materials.

6. Links

pnwmushrooms has not reviewed all of the sites linked to its Internet web site and is not responsible for the contents of any such linked site. The inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by pnwmushrooms of the site. Use of any such linked web site is at the user's own risk.

7. Site Terms of Use Modifications

pnwmushrooms may revise these terms of use for its web site at any time without notice. By using this web site you are agreeing to be bound by the then current version of these Terms and Conditions of Use.

8. Governing Law

Any claim relating to pnwmushrooms's web site shall be governed by the laws of the State of Washington without regard to its conflict of law provisions.
General Terms and Conditions applicable to Use of a Web Site.

Privacy Policy

Your privacy is very important to us. Accordingly, we have developed this Policy in order for you to understand how we collect, use, communicate and disclose and make use of personal information. The following outlines our privacy policy.

• Before or at the time of collecting personal information, we will identify the purposes for which information is being collected.
• We will collect and use of personal information solely with the objective of fulfilling those purposes specified by us and for other compatible purposes, unless we obtain the consent of the individual concerned or as required by law.
• We will only retain personal information as long as necessary for the fulfillment of those purposes.
• We will collect personal information by lawful and fair means and, where appropriate, with the knowledge or consent of the individual concerned.
• Personal data should be relevant to the purposes for which it is to be used, and, to the extent necessary for those purposes, should be accurate, complete, and up-to-date.
• We will protect personal information by reasonable security safeguards against loss or theft, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification.
• We will make readily available to customers information about our policies and practices relating to the management of personal information.

We are committed to conducting our business in accordance with these principles in order to ensure that the confidentiality of personal information is protected and maintained.

Psilocybe pelliculosa

Psilocybe pelliculosa are saprophytic found mostly on decaying alder woods near clear cut areas. These "magic" fungi do not mind frost as much as many other mushrooms do, making them more relevant in higher and lower elevations near end of fall. Often these are found in large groups or clusters rarely cepitose, but possible. Alike Psilocybe semilanceata, pelliculosa also have a separable pellicle.

cepitose - singular; or stand-alone
separable pellicle - transparent tissue overlayed on cap

Jelly mushrooms

Jelly mushrooms belong to a wide diverse group in the basidiomycetes. Many species must be closely evaluated under microscope before determining. Most jelly fungi swell when it rains, then shrink back up during warm periods or sun. Notable jelly mushrooms are Tramella fuciformus and Pseudonym gelatinosum. Also included in jelly mushrooms are slime molds. Technically they aren't mushrooms or even fungi, but still occur in this category.

Above: Tramella fuciformus

Ganoderma applanatum (Artist's Conk)

Ganoderma applanatum are really interesting mushrooms being both parasitic and having medicinal properties. Artists conks are probably one of the most widely distributed mushrooms, most commonly found on fallen fir trees. Usually when parasitic, these conks attack bases of trees and later can be found along the tree, sometimes saprobic. The medical value of these mushrooms are comparable to that of Ganoderma lucidium (or shaga). Some being, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and reducing phlegm. Ganoderma have been consumed by forum of tea for decades, possibly centuries ago. Often it is ground up and added to tea, then strained. One person who swears by its effects said, "You can feel its medicinal properties start working almost instantly like waves".