Wednesday, 25 October 2023

Fungi Foray at the Carrefour de l'inspecteur

October is normally when the most abundance of fungi can be found in the Touraine Loire Valley. The Carrefour de l'inspecteur is an intersection of half a dozen forest rides right in the middle of the Forest of Loches. Didier Raas led a fungi foray on behalf of the Association de botanique et de mycologie to Sainte Maure de Touraine, in partnership with the Tourist Office of Loches. The fungi was showing the effects of the dry weather, but we found a reasonable number of species.

 

A selection of toxic mushrooms, including Brown Rollrim Paxillus involutus (Fr. Paxille enroulé), Panthercap Amanita pantherina (Fr. Amanite panthère) and Oldrose Bolete Imperator rhodopurpureus (Fr. Bolet Vieux Rose).

Toxic mushrooms, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.

Didier talking about Scarlet Brittlegill Russula pseudointegra (Fr. Russule coccinée).  Rather rare and tastes unpleasantly of horseradish.

Scarlet Brittlegill Russula pseudointegra, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.

Spindleshank mushroom Gymnopus fusipes (Fr. Souchette), syn. Collybia fusipes. Abundant, growing in clumps on fallen logs, with tough stipes (stems) that become distorted with age.

Spindleshank mushroom Gymnopus fuscipes, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.

Participants of these outings often take reference photos of mushrooms they particularly want to remember. This one is the edible Red Capped Scaber Stalk Leccinum aurantiacum (Fr. Bolet Orangé des chenes).

Taking a reference photo of Leccinum aurantiacum, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.

A bracket fungus (polypore), left, annotated with the name of the tree species it was found on, as an aid to identification. "Hetre" is beech. The fungus turned out to be Horse's Hoof Fomes fomentaria (Fr. Amadouvier). Also in the basket is Scarlet Brittlegill (top), Lactarius zonarius (Fr. Lactaire zoné), right, both tasting unpleasantly of strong horseradish, and at the bottom, Iodine Bolete Hemileccinum impolitum (Fr. Bolet dépoli).

Polypore annotated with the tree it was found on, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.

Mycology expert Didier Raas talking about a cep (porcini).

Mycology expert Didier Raas talking about a cep on a field outing, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.

Didier talking about Bare-toothed Brittlegill Russula vesca (Fr. Russule comestible), which conveniently for an edible mushroom, is ham coloured.

Mycology expert Didier Raas talking about Russula vesca on a field outing, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.

Blusher Amanita rubescens (Fr. Amanite rougissante), eaten by experienced fungi foragers, but one of the tricky Amanita genus, which includes many toxic species.

Blusher Amanita rubescens, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.

Sooty Milkcap Lactarius fuliginosus (Fr. Lactaire enfumé), found throughout the Northern Hemisphere in deciduous forests.

Sooty Milkcap Lactarius fuliginosus, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.

The edible species Scarletina Bolete Neoboletus erythropus (Fr. Bolet a pied rouge), showing the crucial lack of a fine red line between the flesh and the tubes, which would mean it was a different, toxic, species.

Scarletina Bolete Neoboletus erythropus, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.

Beech Tarcrust Biscogniauxia nummularia (Fr. Hypoxylon nummulaire), a species which becomes more abundant in times of drought stress on the host tree, Beech.

Beech Tarcrust Biscogniauxia nummularia, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.

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