I noticed this mushroom growing in one of the few Eucalyptus trees that have not yet succumbed to drought/disease/infestation on the north end of the Red Car Property, just below Adelbert. Unfortunately, the tree is in a really steep slope, so I can't climb up for a better shot.
It caught my eye when it appeared to grow fringe Tuesday. It's only about 5" tall. I'd been hoping it would grow into a scenic Chicken of the Woods mushroom. But it looks more like a French baguette gone bad. We had a similar mushroom in our dead Eucalyptus stump last year, and we've seen mushrooms that look like discarded dinner rolls. We'll call this one, "bug-eaten-baguette," until we get an ID.
New mushrooms seem to show up every year in the Red Car Property neighborhood. Click here for all our fungus fun.
Disclaimer: The Corralitas Red Car Property Blog prefers to quote reliable sources, such as CalFlora and California Poison Control on the issue of toxicity. MykoWeb is the resource everyone seems to refer to for mushrooms. The Los Angeles Mycological Society has a recommended reading list.
If you are eating your way through the Red Car Property, we DO NOT recommend you eat any plant you find in the Red Car Property neighborhood without first doing your own research.
