Species Feature #8, Train Wrecker

The train wrecker is a fascinating mushroom, technically an edible but not particularly palatable. I'll get the story of its common name out of the way quickly rather than keep you in suspense. This mushroom has reportedly decayed railroad ties to such a degree that accidents have resulted. These stories, however, may be apocryphal - after all, a number of other organisms were undoubtedly at work on each of the ties in question. Mature specimens can be quite large and showy, and their brown scales, jagged gills and inrolled cap margins can give them a rustic appearance. The stems, too, contribute to this rugged feeling with their often shaggy rings and reddish-brown scales. The size makes this mushroom a tempting kitchen experiment, but it has a tough, leathery texture which prevents it from being truly appetizing.

An immature specimen harvested from a decaying stump. Note the gills' attachment to the stem, and their already ragged nature. The scales on the stem are also readily apparent.

Neolentinus lepideus Quick Facts

Common Name(s): train wrecker, scaly lentinus

Taxonomic Breakdown:

• Kingdom - Fungi
• Subkingdom - Dikarya
• Phylum - Basidiomycota
• Subphylum - Agaricomycotina
• Class - Agaricomycetes
• Order - Gloeophyllales
• Family -Gloeophyllaceae
• Genus - Neolentinus
• Species - lepideus

The genus of this mushroom used to be Lentinus, but as with many fungi these days this has recently changed.

Range:  This mushroom is common throughout North America and Europe. It can be found growing on decaying coniferous wood and occasionally on hardwood as well. It has even been reported in coal mines.

A mature specimen, with a bit of substrate (the thing it grows on and consumes) brought along for good measure.

Here is a closeup of the gills and cap margin in a mature specimen. This one was found deep in Rock Creek Park alongside a picnic table.

It is not recommended to eat this mushroom if collected growing from treated wood - unpleasant substances like the chemicals used for weatherproofing can be taken up in the fruiting body as it grows. I personally don't recommend eating this at all due to its general mediocrity. In Michal Kuo's 100 Edible Mushrooms, Darvin DeShazer quotes another mycophagist, Robert Mackler, thusly: "If it's not at least as good as a portobello, why eat it?" I don't agree fully with this fourth-hand thought (the answer is "because it's cool," or maybe "to find out what it tastes like," etc.). However, having tasted this species I am inclined to agree in this instance. Of course, it isn't recommended to eat ANY wild mushroom at all without extensive knowledge and experience... so keep that in mind as well. If you see a mushroom that looks like the above, the reward side of the risk-reward balance is very small.

Another Trip to Rock Creek Park

Rock Creek Park will probably become a running theme in this blog; I live down the street, and will soon be moving even closer. It's home to most of the region's wildlife species, so even though it isn't the cleanest of parks it is well worth a naturalist's time to visit.  Since I've already shared a bit of information about the park, I'll get right to the pictures. This walk took place in June of 2010.

The first sighting on this walk was this mushroom, which I believe to be a youngish specimen of Neolentinus lepideus (train-wrecker). It was growing on the root system of a stump, but dry air seems to have gotten to it before it could mature into the showy specimens one sometimes encounters.

Copinus variegatus (scaly inky-cap) was also hanging out on the property. The inky-caps get their name because their gills liquesce into a black goo over time. If you find them (and succeed in positively IDing them, of course) before this happens, they are edible.

"Sensitive Amphibians," eh? I picture a couple of frogs in marriage counseling. "Fred, you really don't make me feel loved." "But Margaret, who needs love for breeding?"

This mushroom is one that I've encountered dozens of times over the last two years. Its identity continues to confound me. It might not even always be the same mushroom. The features are so generic but so consistently the same to be maddening. I haven't managed to get a single spore print from this sneaky bugger, but it is large an omnipresent around here. If any mycologists who know stumble upon this and laugh at me, please let me know!

Fuligo septica (dog vomit slime mold, or scrambled egg slime). Everything about this is gross, but it's interesting. Slime molds are actually protozoa that present similarly to fungi. The names all convey its nastiness, don't they? 'Dog vomit,' 'egg slime,' 'septic'.. I don't think it's edible, and if it is I don't want to know.

I'm not at all sure what this is, apart from a gorgeous insect. Apologies for the blurry photo, but it was the best I could come up with after tailing this guy for 15 minutes or so. It was pretty sizable - perhaps 2-3 inches long. I've still got some holes in my guide collection, so I made only a cursory attempt to identify this beauty after I got home. I'm hoping over time to have many fewer "cool thing that I can't name for you" entries here.

Identifying this Calopteryx maculata (ebony jewelwing) taught me the actual difference between a damselfly and a dragonfly. About.com is actually useful for once, so just read that!

I don't know what species of beetle this is infesting my oyster mushrooms, but they seem to pop up quite often. I can only find reference to them so far as "a small black beetle" that likes this mushroom. Go figure. (Actually, don't. Instead, keep reading my blog!)

The oyster mushroom above had another - and more startling - neighbor. This Nerodia sipedon (northern water snake) caught me unawares while I was harvesting. It didn't seem to mind the company much, as it only gave me a wary eye and didn't threaten or try to escape.

I love woodpeckers (no penis jokes, please). This fine specimen of Dryocopus pileatus (pileated woodpecker) was seen with a second - ostensibly its mate - just at the exit to the park. This sighting was probably the highlight of the walk for yours truly.

The residential area I made my return trip through was positively awash in Asclepius syriaca (common milkweed). It's pretty, but it is high in allergens. This stuff, among other things, really nails me every summer here.

This is what I meant by pretty - very showy flowers and greenery.

I have to say that while this hike might not have presented me with the strange and unusual, it certainly offered a variety of observable life. For a guy like me (read: "nerd," "naturalist," or "outdoorsman," whichever spin you prefer) any day that includes photo ops of life spanning four kingdoms is a mark in the win column.