Fungus Mosses Lichens

I remember loving to stomp on puffballs in the fall when out in the country as a child.  I haven’t paid much attention to them since but came across a nice bunch recently when out in Nopiming.  When they are “ripe” the spores inside explode into green-gray clouds.  Below, a few photos of Puffballs,  the first being taken in the Whiteshell before it was mature and the others from Nopiming.  You can see the spores in the cloud and this is no doubt how they reproduce by having their spores carried by the winds.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

I thought I would update the information on my October 18th post.  Below is an excerpt from “Wikipedia” naming the edible mushrooms we know so well.

“In the Canadian Prairies (particularly Manitoba), the term “honey fungus” is unknown to many; due to the large presence of Ukrainian Canadians in this area, the fungus is often referred to as pidpenky , from the Ukrainian term, “beneath the stump”.

Here are some more photos (courtesy of my cousins son Justin) of these delicious edible mushrooms some of which are shown growing “beneath the stump”  . . .

My aunt speaks of a yellow ring on these mushrooms – one way of identifying them.  You can see a yellow ring on the stem in the photo below.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Our family knows these mushrooms as “peetpanky” . . . don’t ask me how it is really spelled so you are getting the phonetic version.  Nor do I know the actual name of these mushrooms.  Having said that, these are one of the varieties of mushrooms that are harvested late summer by experienced mushroom pickers.  Still, I would not venture out on my own and take a guess on a safe mushroom unless I was with someone that could absolutely confirm they are safe for eating. These remain a popular food item in the Interlake Area but also grow in other forests in our province.   The mushrooms in the photos below definitely are safe and edible and the family will be enjoying them throughout the winter.  Thanks to my cousins for taking these photos – I was busy with my son’s wedding when these were in abundance and couldn’t get out to take the photos so when she called to ask if she could help with anything I said Yes – please take some photos of your mushrooms for me.  She even picked and cleaned some for my family -  thanks Deb! They picked pails and pails of them this year and they grow in the bush right in her own back yard.

Below a few closer views.

Enjoy!

~Sharon