Just lately there have been fruitings of species of  Stinkhorns.  The egg-like stage of these mushrooms has the appearance of a puffball. We sliced some specimens open to reveal the neatly-packed embryonic fungus which will eventually rise into the mature fruiting body.  Insects by the dozens are attracted to such fungi. Their activity helps disperse the mushroom’s spores.
       One of the most striking of these odd fungi we’ve seen is the Netted Stinkhorn  Dictyophora duplicata. Its white stem is almost crystalline in appearance and may be as tall as 8 inches. It holds a 2 inch head that is hooded in a greenish, foul-smelling paste that contains the fungal spores. A skirt-like veil hangs just below the head. It is lace-like and exquisite in its structure.

With recent rains and edge of  cold temperature, we see the fruitings of the small, thin caps of Panellus stipticus.  These form many tightly-grouped tiers of shelving along birch logs.  Caps are about an inch and a half across. Their gills are pale, tightly spaced and each
cap has a short stem with a rounded attachment. Though small and a quiet brown in color, these mushrooms possess a surprising quality; they glow in the dark. A handful of these, gathered when fresh, can be placed in a jar, dotted with water and covered.  In a dark room, caps will produce a steady greenish glow.  It’s possible, if caps are kept slightly moistened, to keep them glowing for a week
or more.  The mushroom’s common name is fittingly Luminescent Panellus.