I collected mushrooms this morning with Gloria and my parents. It rained a lot last week in Waltham, MA. Many mushrooms had sprung up in Prospect Hill Park nearby. The temperature forecast for today said the highs would be 32°C. So I wanted to go out in the morning while it was not too hot. Over the objections of my mother, Gloria, my father, and I picked different mushrooms and carried them back to the car. Next time we’ll bring a basket and a trowel. I took them back only to identify them. I am definitely neither experienced nor confident enough to eat any wild mushrooms I find.

Do not use this post as any basis for consuming mushrooms yourself. Some mushrooms are extremely poisonous and can be fatal if ingested.

Here’s photos of what we found and my amateur guess at what they are.

Russula cremoricolor (Creamy Russula)

Russula brevipes (Short-Stemmed Russula)

Russula albonigra

Amanita bisporigera (Destroying angel)

some type of Grisette

Boletus pseudosensibilis

We saw what I think is a Boletus pseudosensibilis, but my mom snatched it out of my hands and threw it away before I could take it home.

Monotropa uniflora (Ghost pipe)

Monotropa uniflora isn’t a fungus but needs them. It has no chlorophyll and doesn’t depend on photosynthesis. It’s a saprophyte that gets nutrients by tapping into the resources of trees, indirectly through myccorhizal fungi.