This winter I stumbled across an absolutely beautiful little mushroom that I initially had trouble identifying. I found it here in Western Washington growing under Western Red Cedar, and I was struck by how beautiful this little fairy club mushroom was.
These are small, white trumpet shaped clubs that have incredible little details. They are soft and waxy to the touch. The young specimens have an almost light iridescent blue appearance. I kept an eye on my initial patch of these mushrooms and, as they aged, they took on a more opaque white appearance, and transitioned to a more yellowish white as time went on.
The host of field guides that I typically reference in getting a positive mushroom identification didn't seem to have too much info on this species.
It turned out to be Clavicorona taxophila. This is in the Auriscalpiaceae family.
It is reported to often grow near Yew trees, but I am primarily under Western Red Cedar (although, admittedly, it is worth noting that Yew trees are more rare to come by in my forest).
It's always a joy to come across something new and to begin to forge a new relationship. Looking forward to spending more time with this one!
Let me know what you think - have you come across this one too? Happy trails!
#mushroom #fungi
25 авг 2024
