Toothed Jelly Fungus

Here's another of this year's crop of fungi, one of my favorites, the Toothed Jelly Fungus (Pseudohydnum gelatinosum). These look good enough to eat and you can, though they are reputed to be very bland. I love them because they always seem to be lighted from within.

Toothed Jelly Fungus (Pseudohydnum gelatinosum)

I mentioned in yesterday's post about the wide variety of shapes and colors of mushrooms. As an example, here's another favorite fungus of mine, the Toothed Jelly Fungus (Pseudohydnum gelatinosum). It looks more like some kind of super-modern lighting fixture than a mushroom. In the gloom of the deep woods they seem to gather in what light there is and glow like tiny lamps They are not very big - I've seen a few as big as a silver dollar but most are about half that size. Apparently they are edible though rather tasteless.

Mushroom Season

Mushroom season has only just begun now but there are already a few of the smaller kinds of fungi visible on the forest floor, Above is one of my favorites, the Toothed Jelly Fungus (Pseudohydnum gelatinosum). I don't know if these guys glow in the dark but they certainly glow in the daytime. I think I also like them because they are one of the few fungi I can identify. The brown mushrooms on the left belong to that much larger class of fungi that I cannot identify. If there are any mycophiles out there perhaps you can suggest what kind of mushroom they are.

Ongoing Mystery

I first posted a photo of this wonderful fungus in December a couple of years ago. I continue to be intrigued by this species' wonderful color and texture whenever I see one. They glow like little odd-shaped icicles among the moss. However, I am no closer to identifying them than I was two years ago so any suggestions will be appreciated.

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Site visitor Ken Meadows has kindly identified this mushroom as Pseudohydnum gelatinosum. It's also known as toothed jelly fungus, false hedgehog mushroom, and white jelly mushroom. It's edible and also may have some medicinal uses. Thanks Ken!