fascinatedbyfungi
Dr. Gordon Walker (FunGuy)
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Dr. Gordon Walker (FunGuy) 🍄 👑 🧬 PhD Scientist 🔬 👂🏻FBF Podcast 👀 Links 👇
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Cheers from this ever so chonky #Cortinariusponderosus . This is a very large, very solid mycorrhizal mushroom that fruits in mixed hardwood and conifer forest. I tend ro find it specifically with tan oak in late fall/early winter. It is recognized by its immense size, viscid scaly yellowish/brown cap, lilac gills (and other purple tones), massive stipe, and a distinctive odor.
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Unlike most other Cortinarius, this species is edible and actually tastes decent. I found it to have wonderful solid meaty texture, a complex nutty/sweetness, and a hint of lingering bitterness (likened to an IPA by @damontighe).
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On this day I found a couple of primo buttons to cook with, but there was a large bug ridden specimens I cut up for the sheer satisfaction factor. I returned the mushroom bits to the forest floor and it’s denizens, no waste in nature. Hope you guys enjoy this!
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#mushroomidentification #cortinarius #webcap #mycology #fungi #mushroomasmr #asmrslice #slicingasmr #asmrslicingvideos #fascinatedbyfungi #jamur #mogu #kinoko #гриб #nấm #เห็ด #キノコ
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Unlike most other Cortinarius, this species is edible and actually tastes decent. I found it to have wonderful solid meaty texture, a complex nutty/sweetness, and a hint of lingering bitterness (likened to an IPA by @damontighe).
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On this day I found a couple of primo buttons to cook with, but there was a large bug ridden specimens I cut up for the sheer satisfaction factor. I returned the mushroom bits to the forest floor and it’s denizens, no waste in nature. Hope you guys enjoy this!
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#mushroomidentification #cortinarius #webcap #mycology #fungi #mushroomasmr #asmrslice #slicingasmr #asmrslicingvideos #fascinatedbyfungi #jamur #mogu #kinoko #гриб #nấm #เห็ด #キノコ
Check out these silly slugs sliding around the forest floor. These are #BananaSlugs #Ariolimax species, found along the west coast of North America.
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Contained within slug slime is a potent cocktail of water loving (hygroscopic) proteins than absorb water creating a gel, upon which the slugs glide effortlessly. These proteins also serve as a potent defense against would be predators, immediately numbing and sucking dry the mouth of anything trying to eat the slug. The slug trail is also laced with pheromones that help them locate and assess potential mating partners.
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As with other slugs and land snails, they have a distinctive opening (seen here in this video) on the right side of their mantle. This is the pneumostome, it is a respiratory breathing hole that opens and closes to assist with gas exchange. It is also where they mate, reciprocally inserting their epically long penises to exchange gametes (slugs are hermaphroditic).
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I went to UCSC for undergrad where a freshman right of passage was to lick a banana slug, but PLEASE DO NOT LICK THEM! Banana slugs are amazing mascot, but licking them will stress out the slug and numb your mouth. Just enjoy the slugs without disturbing them, if anything, help them out by offering them a tasty mushroom!
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#bananaslug #slug #slugs #wildlife #animalphotography #slime #funny #naturehumor #goslugs #ucsc #ucsantacruz #fascinatedbyfungi #biology #sciencetok
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Contained within slug slime is a potent cocktail of water loving (hygroscopic) proteins than absorb water creating a gel, upon which the slugs glide effortlessly. These proteins also serve as a potent defense against would be predators, immediately numbing and sucking dry the mouth of anything trying to eat the slug. The slug trail is also laced with pheromones that help them locate and assess potential mating partners.
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As with other slugs and land snails, they have a distinctive opening (seen here in this video) on the right side of their mantle. This is the pneumostome, it is a respiratory breathing hole that opens and closes to assist with gas exchange. It is also where they mate, reciprocally inserting their epically long penises to exchange gametes (slugs are hermaphroditic).
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I went to UCSC for undergrad where a freshman right of passage was to lick a banana slug, but PLEASE DO NOT LICK THEM! Banana slugs are amazing mascot, but licking them will stress out the slug and numb your mouth. Just enjoy the slugs without disturbing them, if anything, help them out by offering them a tasty mushroom!
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#bananaslug #slug #slugs #wildlife #animalphotography #slime #funny #naturehumor #goslugs #ucsc #ucsantacruz #fascinatedbyfungi #biology #sciencetok
Here is one of absolute favorite mushrooms the #BleedingToothFungus or #Hydnellumpeckii .
I found these amazing bloody stumps bursting forth from the ground In Pygmy Forest habitat under pine on the Mendocino coast.
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This is a mycorrhizal mushroom that grows in association conifers, especially mature pine forests. Like other Hydnellum species, mushroom itself is a arises from the ground as a little nub, becoming club shaped, then fanning out on top, radiating outwards in concentric circles. The bottom side of the mushroom is covered in small spines or “teeth” that serve to disperse the spores of this mushroom.
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The incredible bloody appearance of this mushroom is due to a phenomenon known as #Guttation . This is when a mushroom is growing so quickly, that it basically sweats, producing CO2 and H2O. The droplets on the surface of the mushroom contain polyphenols and tannins that color the liquid red and make it extremely astringent. This mushroom is not poisonous, but it is very tough and extremely bitter, rendering it inedible. Fabrics arts folks prize this as a dye mushroom, capable of producing brilliant blue/green colors.
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The biochemistry of this mushroom is fascinating as well. It contains a blood coagulant called atromentin, which can also inhibit bacterial (Streptococcus) growth. Given the long lived nature of the fruiting bodies, I’ll bet there are some other interesting polysaccharides and sesquiterpenes with biological activity. So much good science still to be done on understanding mushrooms!
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#mushroomedu #natureeducation #mycology #fungi #bleedingtoothfungi #blood #mendocino #wildmushrooms #fascinatedbyfungi
I found these amazing bloody stumps bursting forth from the ground In Pygmy Forest habitat under pine on the Mendocino coast.
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This is a mycorrhizal mushroom that grows in association conifers, especially mature pine forests. Like other Hydnellum species, mushroom itself is a arises from the ground as a little nub, becoming club shaped, then fanning out on top, radiating outwards in concentric circles. The bottom side of the mushroom is covered in small spines or “teeth” that serve to disperse the spores of this mushroom.
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The incredible bloody appearance of this mushroom is due to a phenomenon known as #Guttation . This is when a mushroom is growing so quickly, that it basically sweats, producing CO2 and H2O. The droplets on the surface of the mushroom contain polyphenols and tannins that color the liquid red and make it extremely astringent. This mushroom is not poisonous, but it is very tough and extremely bitter, rendering it inedible. Fabrics arts folks prize this as a dye mushroom, capable of producing brilliant blue/green colors.
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The biochemistry of this mushroom is fascinating as well. It contains a blood coagulant called atromentin, which can also inhibit bacterial (Streptococcus) growth. Given the long lived nature of the fruiting bodies, I’ll bet there are some other interesting polysaccharides and sesquiterpenes with biological activity. So much good science still to be done on understanding mushrooms!
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#mushroomedu #natureeducation #mycology #fungi #bleedingtoothfungi #blood #mendocino #wildmushrooms #fascinatedbyfungi
Here I am talking mushrooms vs mycelium and the basics of fungal biology. This is an excerpt from my talk at the San Diego Mycology Society fair in Balboa park (February 2023). I know these longer form videos aren’t particularly popular compared to short form, but please let me know in the comments if you learned something or enjoyed this.
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#fascinatedbyfungi #mushroomedu #mycology
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#fascinatedbyfungi #mushroomedu #mycology
This is a Phaeotremella jelly fungus, they are evolutionarily ancient and absolutely fascinating. For a food source they eat (mycoparasitize) the mycelium of other fungi that grow on the decaying wood (like Stereum). The jelly mushroom is a manifestation of their sexual stage (2N) phase, but they can also live as single celled yeasts in their clonal/asexual stage (1N). The fruiting bodies are filled with complex fiber and bioactive molecules that help this mushroom deter predators, resist rot/mold, and could be medically relevant for humans. While somehwta flavorless, jelly mushrooms like these are edible. I have played around with cnadying and pickling these, they also dehydrate and rehydrate well. Truly remarkable organisms, hopefuly you learned something from this video!
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#jellyfungus #ushygushy #loosejelly #squishy #squishyasmr #napa #mushroomasmr #asmrsquishy #jelly #mycology #fungi #fascinatedbyfungi
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#jellyfungus #ushygushy #loosejelly #squishy #squishyasmr #napa #mushroomasmr #asmrsquishy #jelly #mycology #fungi #fascinatedbyfungi
Check out this funky looking Lorchel or Gyromitra mushroom. This is an Ascomycete mushroom, meaning it’s spores are contained within a needle-like sac called an ascus. Identification-wise they have a funky smell and are composed of lots of folded chambers with brittle flesh.
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Here it is growing on the forest floor amongst a bunch of pine trees that were cut down as part of fire prevention measures. My guess is that similar to morels these mushrooms live as endophyte inside the pine trees, then fruit like crazy when their host dies to inoculate the next generation of seedlings.
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These mushrooms are quite toxic, containing gyromitrin which is metabolized to Monomethylhydrazine (MMH), a porent neurotoxin that is also found in rocket fuel as a propellant. These kinds if Gyromitra can cause some pretty severe GI upset, neurological symptoms, and even death in extreme cases. However there are cultures where people will boil these mushrooms (2x and change water) outside to blow off the MMH, then eat them, although I do not recommend trying this. There are also other larger lighter brown types of Gyromitra that contain less MMH and can be cooked thoroughly and consumed (by experts).
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#mushroomedu #gyromitra #lorchel #falsemorel #mycology #fungi #napa #napavalley #biochemistry #toxicmushroom #toxic #wildmushrooms
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Here it is growing on the forest floor amongst a bunch of pine trees that were cut down as part of fire prevention measures. My guess is that similar to morels these mushrooms live as endophyte inside the pine trees, then fruit like crazy when their host dies to inoculate the next generation of seedlings.
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These mushrooms are quite toxic, containing gyromitrin which is metabolized to Monomethylhydrazine (MMH), a porent neurotoxin that is also found in rocket fuel as a propellant. These kinds if Gyromitra can cause some pretty severe GI upset, neurological symptoms, and even death in extreme cases. However there are cultures where people will boil these mushrooms (2x and change water) outside to blow off the MMH, then eat them, although I do not recommend trying this. There are also other larger lighter brown types of Gyromitra that contain less MMH and can be cooked thoroughly and consumed (by experts).
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#mushroomedu #gyromitra #lorchel #falsemorel #mycology #fungi #napa #napavalley #biochemistry #toxicmushroom #toxic #wildmushrooms
Banana slugs (Ariolimax sp.) are some of my favorite animals. They slip and slide along the forest floor with ease thanks to their hygroscopic (water loving) slime. They secret a mucus from their foot (muscle on the bottom of their body) full of proteins that suck up water and form a gel. This slime serves not only to help them get around but also to deter would be predators, since the slime immediately aborbs water from your mouth, leaving it numb and tingly. Slugs also convey information to potential mates through ghis slime, leaving behind a trail of pheremones for other slugs to thirst after. Hope you learned something and enjoyed this silly little compilation of clips.
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#bananaslug #bananaslugs #ariolimax #slug #slugs #scicomm #sciencetok #wildlife #natureeducation #biology #ucsc #ucsantacruz #goslugs #gastropod #slugsoftiktok
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#bananaslug #bananaslugs #ariolimax #slug #slugs #scicomm #sciencetok #wildlife #natureeducation #biology #ucsc #ucsantacruz #goslugs #gastropod #slugsoftiktok
Happy Slime Mold Sunday from these pulsing protista plasmodia! What youre seeing as pulsing or breathing is the bidirectional flow of cellular components across the plasmodium which is one giant cell composed of many single cells merged together. Slime molds display “network intelligence” and are able to coordinate decisions across their plasmodium, actively tracking down food while moving away from competitors. They can sense light, humidity, and make decisions about when to form apores based on environmental conditions. What amazing organisms!
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#slimemold #slimemolds #slimemoldsunday #myxomycetes #sciencetok #biology #timelapse #protista #protozoan #plasmodium
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#slimemold #slimemolds #slimemoldsunday #myxomycetes #sciencetok #biology #timelapse #protista #protozoan #plasmodium
Picking some Coral Tooth Mushroom (Hericium coralloides), this a toothy branched relarive if the Lions Mane growing on a fallen oak tree here in the Napa Valley. These are execllent edible mushrooms that are easy to identify. My favorite way to cook them is to turn them into faux “crab” cakes, by cooking them down then mixing with eggs, bread crumbs, and seasoning to make a killer vegetarian “crab” cake. Watch til the end to see the finished product!
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#Hericium #hericiumcoralloides #mycology #mushroomedu #mushroomidentification #mushroomforaging #fascinatedbyfungi
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#Hericium #hericiumcoralloides #mycology #mushroomedu #mushroomidentification #mushroomforaging #fascinatedbyfungi
These mushrooms are the Hygroscopic Earthstar or an Astraeus species, in Napa they are mycorrhizal with Coast Live Oak. Despite their name, they not a true Earthstar (Geastrum sp.). These are gasteroid mushrooms which develop spores internally like a puffball. They are surrounded by a hard woody layer (peridium) that shrinks and contracts when dry, but expands and opens when wet. They are not edible because of how tough they are, but extract of this mushroom have high anti oxidant activity and compounds in these mushrooms are being studied as potential therapeutics for treating cancer. These are amazing mushrooms that can hang around opening and closing for months, perfectly adapted to the wet/dry cycles of California. This time lapse took roughly 4 hours to film, but it can take over 2 days for these to close back up after opening. One of my favorite fungal phenomena to observe!
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#astraeus #hygroscopic #hygroscopicearthstar #mycology #fungi #fascinatedbyfungi #napa #napavalley #timelapse #naturetimelapse #mushroomedu
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#astraeus #hygroscopic #hygroscopicearthstar #mycology #fungi #fascinatedbyfungi #napa #napavalley #timelapse #naturetimelapse #mushroomedu
Check out this big chonky #LiverBolete or #Suillellusamygdalinus . A large fleshy ectomycorrhizal bolete species associated with the Live Oak here in Napa. I have seen this species fruiting here anywhere from September all the way through March, it appears to like short periods of rain with warm mild weather in between. It is recognized by its uniformly brownish red leathery cap, orangey/red pores, and relatively uniform stem without heavily defined reticulation (webbing pattern on the stipe).
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This is not a species traditionally considered edible by California foragers, but it is highly sought after by certain demographics (Eastern Europeans) who absolutely love it. I have heard of several people in my local Myco club eating it and enjoying it. I personally think it has decent texture but the flavor is kind of sour and unpleasant. Also needs to be cooked very thoroughly or even if boiled if you want to avoid a chance of GI upset.
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The blue staining reaction in boletes is not due to psilocybin. Instead it is caused by an enzymatically catalyzed oxidation of organic acids (like variegatic) than causes a pH dependent color shift from yellow to blue. This reaction can be reversed with an acidic solution like lemon juice. The blue color will fade with heat (cooking) or in time - built just letting it sit there.
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#mushroomedu #natureeducator #mycology #napavalley #bluemonday #boletes #bluestaining #enzymatic #oxidation #biochemistry #scicomm #mushroomforaging #wildmushrooms
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This is not a species traditionally considered edible by California foragers, but it is highly sought after by certain demographics (Eastern Europeans) who absolutely love it. I have heard of several people in my local Myco club eating it and enjoying it. I personally think it has decent texture but the flavor is kind of sour and unpleasant. Also needs to be cooked very thoroughly or even if boiled if you want to avoid a chance of GI upset.
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The blue staining reaction in boletes is not due to psilocybin. Instead it is caused by an enzymatically catalyzed oxidation of organic acids (like variegatic) than causes a pH dependent color shift from yellow to blue. This reaction can be reversed with an acidic solution like lemon juice. The blue color will fade with heat (cooking) or in time - built just letting it sit there.
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#mushroomedu #natureeducator #mycology #napavalley #bluemonday #boletes #bluestaining #enzymatic #oxidation #biochemistry #scicomm #mushroomforaging #wildmushrooms
More #Morel harvesting ASMR! People are constantly asking me why I tap mushrooms before harvesting. I have explained this fully on the FAQ page of my website and on my podcast, but I will attempt to answer it here as well. Tapping a mushroom gives you a sense of the density, the resonance speaks to the quality of the mushroom. A nice thump means the mushroom is in good shape, but a hollow sound means it may be full of bugs. Tapping mushrooms helps to dislodge dirt and insects that may be hiding out inside. I like to think that tapping helps to disperse some spores before picking. Tapping also produces a pleasing noise that some people enjoy, so here I am primarily doing it for entertainment value.
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After researching morels, I personally feel that cutting them is indeed the best way to harvest them. They are growing saprobically, often from sclerotia (dense patches of mycelium just below the surface) so cutting them is the least invasive way to harvest them. Do your best to minimize your impact on the forest floor. However, I am also hyper aware of gate keeping within the mushroom community and ask you to be kind/understanding if you see someone harvest mushrooms in a manner you do not agree with. You’ll change more minds by being respectful and explaining your rationale than you will by actively guilting others in the comments of a post. Morels love disturbance and humans are definitely good at causing that to happen.
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All rain here in California means we should have an epic morel season, but not until the snow starts melting. Hope you guys enjoy the meditative quality of this morel ASMR video.
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#morchella #morels #foraging #opinel #mushroomasmr #tappingasmr #asmrtapping #oddlysatisfying #californiaforaging #burnmorels #wildfire #fascinatedbyfungi #mycology #fungi
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After researching morels, I personally feel that cutting them is indeed the best way to harvest them. They are growing saprobically, often from sclerotia (dense patches of mycelium just below the surface) so cutting them is the least invasive way to harvest them. Do your best to minimize your impact on the forest floor. However, I am also hyper aware of gate keeping within the mushroom community and ask you to be kind/understanding if you see someone harvest mushrooms in a manner you do not agree with. You’ll change more minds by being respectful and explaining your rationale than you will by actively guilting others in the comments of a post. Morels love disturbance and humans are definitely good at causing that to happen.
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All rain here in California means we should have an epic morel season, but not until the snow starts melting. Hope you guys enjoy the meditative quality of this morel ASMR video.
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#morchella #morels #foraging #opinel #mushroomasmr #tappingasmr #asmrtapping #oddlysatisfying #californiaforaging #burnmorels #wildfire #fascinatedbyfungi #mycology #fungi
I grew some FANTASTIC King Trumpet Oyster mushrooms with a kit from @northsporemushrooms. These are #Pleurotuseryngii , large meaty saprotrophic mushrooms that are commonly cultivated in Asia. They have larger and thicker stems than other oyster mushroom species. When cooked they are extremely meaty and have a mild flavor that absorbs whatever seasoning you put on them. They are incredible pan-fried and scored, grilled, roasted, or even battered and deep fried. King trumpets can be pretty expensive in the store (due to them being pretty large and heavy), so I love growing them at home. A big 5lb kit like this will produce several flushes of mushrooms and will definitely get you your moneys worth. Thanks to the guide from North Spore, I know exactly what conditions are best for these mushrooms. If you want to get your own kit, check out NorthSpore.com and use code “FASCINATEDBYFUNGI” to save 10% on your order. Cheers!
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#kingtrumpet #kingtrumpetmushrooms #mushroomkit #northspore #northsporemushroomkit #spreadthespore #cultivatedmushrooms #growyourownfood
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#kingtrumpet #kingtrumpetmushrooms #mushroomkit #northspore #northsporemushroomkit #spreadthespore #cultivatedmushrooms #growyourownfood