Tag Archives: Dyer’s Polypore

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The rain we received a little over three weeks ago continues to pay dividends with mushrooms appearing on the Mendonoma Coast. Patty Davenport found this group of Boletus edulis, King Boletes, with a Banana Slug feasting at what she called the "breakfast bar." King Boletes are delicious edible mushrooms that are a treat to find.

Roxanne Holmes photographed a non-edible mushroom, a Dyer's Polypore.

This mushroom's job is to decompose dead wood. Dyers of yarn covet these as when young, like this one, they dye yarn yellow/orange. When mature, they dye yarn a warm brown.

Other mushrooms are appearing now, a welcome sight!

Thanks to Patty and Roxanne for allowing me to share their photos with you  here.

The fog pulled back today, showing us the Pacific Ocean for the first time in a few days. Temps climbed a bit too, low 70's. It's a beautiful autumn day here on the Mendonoma Coast.

 

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Cece Case found this fungus several weeks ago. It's a Dyer's Polypore.

This fungus helps decompose dead wood. It's also prized by dyers of yarn, as it turns yarn yellow or orange when young like this one, or a rich brown when older.

Thanks to Cece for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

Today is a gorgeous day on the Mendonoma coast. Blue skies, with occasional white, puffy clouds, and a warm breeze. There have been some amazing whale sightings recently too. Over a dozen Humpback whales were seen yesterday.

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One of the first mushrooms of the autumn I enjoy spotting is the colorful Dyer's Polypore. Rick and I found two growing along our seasonal creek. The one on the left is growing in a small huckleberry bush.

These are inedible mushrooms. Their job in nature is to help decompose dead wood. That said, we found it growing on the roots of a big, healthy Douglas Fir. Perhaps there is a dead root they are working on.

Dyer's of yarn prize these mushrooms as they impart a yellow color when young, like these. As the mushrooms age, they give a deep brown color.

We did find some Oyster Mushrooms on a downed Tan-Oak. Oysters, edible mushrooms, grow on dead hardwoods.

We will be looking for the first Boletus edulis to arrive. Soon, me thinks!

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Oyster mushrooms have bloomed on a downed Tan Oak in our forest. This  tree came down last year and we left it in place in the hopes that we'd get these mushrooms - they grow on dead hardwood. Our hopes were rewarded!

Oyster Mushrooms by Jeanne Jackson (Large)

And a Dyer's Polypore has bloomed too - not an edible, but beautiful to see and watch evolve.

Dyer's Polypore by Jeanne Jackson

The new polypore is the light-colored one. The dark brown polypore was last year's bloom. It's unusual for the old one to still be entact. These mushrooms are used by dyers of wool. When young they dye wool yellow or orange. When older, the dye wool brown. Their role in Nature it to decompose dead wood.

I have a photo of the first Boletus edulis, a choice edible. Four were found at The Sea Ranch a few days ago. But I am sharing it first with the Independent Coast Observer with my Sightings column. It will be out on Thursday!

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Sometimes it seems like they pop up full grown overnight, and other times you can see them evolve over a period of several weeks; Dyer's Polypores are here. Their scientific name is Phaeolus schweinitzii. Several just made an appearance on our land this week, yet one fruited several months ago in our forest. Craig Tooley was there to photograph it. It has a rather unusual top to it.

Below is one Rick and I just noticed yesterday afternoon. It's quite beautiful, don't you think?

And here is one that is just emerging. It will be fun to watch it as the days go by.

This fungus has its role to play in nature as it helps to decompose dead wood. Dyers of yarn prize this fungus for the pigment it holds. Depending on the age of the fungus, they can dye yarn yellow, orange or brown.

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photo, the first one here, with you. To see much more of Craig's photography, here is his website: ruffimage.com