False Truffle Earthtongue

Tolypocladium capitatum - sprouting from a subterranean false truffle.

 
Elaphomyces granulatus is a truffle-like fungus that inhabits conifer plantations. It is rarely seen as it grows a few centimeters beneath the surface. It is parasitised by an earth tongue Tolypocladium capitatum that sprouts from the truffle and heads upwards, breaching the surface so it can deposit its spores on the wind.

 

 

A false truffle Elaphomyces granulatus revealed by digging down the stalks of the parasites.

Silky Piggyback Mushroom

I blogged about the powdery piggyback mushroom here. These photos are of the silky piggyback mushroom - it is similarly parasitic on russules, but doesn't have the strange spore generating tissue of its powdery brethren.

Asterophora parasitica - silky piggyback mushroom

Asterophora parasitica - silky piggyback mushroom

Hypomyces lateritius

Hypomyces lateritius is a fungus that parasitizes milkcaps - altering their form and texture, replacing their gills with its own smooth spore-bearing surface.

Hypomyces lateritius growing on Lactarius deterrimus

Lactarius deterrimus - uninfected fruiting bodies

Powdery Piggyback

Monday Mushroom #98

The blackening russule - Russula nigricans is well named for the way it turns black on maturation, eventually degenerating into nondescript brittle black lumps that strongly resemble charcoal. It is a very common fungus round these parts and has developed parasitic hangers on - another fungus called the powdery piggyback fungus - Asterophora lycoperdoides - which emerges as little white mushrooms as the russule blackens.

These parasites are unusual in that their caps disintegrate into a brownish, spore bearing powder by a process totally unrelated to the development of spores on their gills.