Monday Mushrooms - December 29, 2025

 There was a short window of sunshine on Saturday morning, so Mickey and I went to the park.  It was only 10:00 am, so while sunny, very cold.  But, Mickey hadn't been on a walk in a long time due to rain.  He has a yard to run around in, which he does, right through the puddles, but a walk in the park to sniff around is special. 

I took pictures of more than mushrooms, however I took a lot of pictures of mushrooms, and they were new kinds I'd not seen before!  So, the other things have to wait.

 Peziza repanda, Recurved Cup or Layered Cup. These have already matured.  Apparently they are so unnoticeable earlier that most people don't even notice them.  I think I would have, I walk along this area of wood chips with my nose to the ground!  There are very, very few photos online of the immature ones.  They were good sized, the bigger ones about 4".

In the same area were these unidentified mushrooms.  The second photo may show Mica Cap or Glistening Inkcap.

Then, I noticed this unknown mushroom in my own herb garden!  It might be a Fieldcap mushroom, not to be confused with the Field mushroom I found last month.

I never eat any mushrooms I find!  I never eat any mushrooms from the store.  I think they taste like dirt! If I touch them I wash my hands well, some may be edible, but they have toxic lookalikes.  I come from northern California, where it's poisonous death cap mushroom season.  A few dozen people have already been poisoned, so far only one death is reported.  Most of the victims are hospitalized, and several await liver transplants.  Even before symptoms appear liver cells are already dying, and the majority of people will need a liver transplant.