I was delighted the first time I saw what I thought was just a beautiful ice formation on the path near our house. When I found out that it was a fungus I was astounded and went running back to find it again to photograph it....but it was gone.  A couple of days later on a cool morning we looked out the window and saw dozens of fallen branches and sticks covered in delicate white swirls! Most were on Garry Oak branches.

This exquisite formation of ice crystals depends on the fungus, Exidiopsis effusa. It was only in 2015 that researchers in Europe identified the white crustose fungus as the key to the formation of these delicate crystals, although a German scientist in 1918 had determined that it was indeed some sort of relationship between a fungus and ice in the wood . According to local mycologist, Kem Luther, E. effusa has not been specifically identified in BC yet, and as we have several other species of Exidiopsis it may actually be a different species here. 

The Questionable Stropharia, Stropharia ambigua, is a relatively common fungus found on the wet west coast. It is found most commonly under conifers, but may be in mixed forest in rich humus, providing a dash of light in the dark, Here on Leaning Oaks it was found near Douglas-fir. It is only found on the Pacific coast from Alaska to California. It is relatively distinct with the cottony white veil over the tan or yellow cap and the shaggy white stalk. It can be found singly or in small groups, both having been seen here. Strophus in Greek means belt, and for this genus refers to the distinctive membranous ring on the stipe. 

The description of this species in the nearly 1000 page tome, "Mushrooms Demystified" by David Arora is full of superlatives that you may or may not agree with.
"There is nothing ambiguous or questionable about this elegant, stately fungus. It is our most common woodland Stropharia and at its best is one of the most exquisitely beautiful of all mushrooms--well worth seeking out."

This past year, 2020 was a year of discoveries and iNatting. We were challenged to do an iNaturalist project where we documented every species possible that we could within a five mile or 8 kilometre radius from our house. This was a challenge posed by a colleague in Ontario and many signed in to play along. What a great thing to do when you couldn't travel far anyhow. Because of the somewhat  um, competitive nature of this challenge, I learned a lot about groups that I had not particularly paid a lot of attention to before, like mushrooms. 

The distinctive Orange Peel fungus occurs on disturbed, compacted soils along trails or gravelly soils (or perhaps just plain gravel like here!). Aleuria aurantia is a tertiary decomposer and thus very important in the ecosstem. Other fungi, or primary and secondary decomposers do the initial organic material breakdown, then A. aurantia comes in and breaks down the complex molecules. Some are absorbed back into the fungus for nutrition and the rest is used by plants and soil dwelling organisms for their nutrition. We don't have many of these around...at least not this year which is too bad. After you have stopped cursing someone for flinging their orange peels on the path, you can appreciate the splash of colour that these provide on days like this where there are only many shades of grey.  

These small pointy caps are found singly or in clusters on well rotted wood. Mycena haematopus is found in the spring and summer, mainly on the shady slopes below the Big-leafed Maple. It is called blood-foot or Bleeding Mycena because a red liquid exudes from the base. I also found "Bleeding Fairy Helmet" as an English name but that seemed a bit macabre. 
Thanks to Tracee Geernaert for ID help! 

One of the commoner boletes found on southern Vancouver Island (Xerocomellus chrystenteron, formerly Boletus chrystenteron).  Chryst comes from the Greek krysos or gold and enteron refers to the "innards". The photograph does not do the beautiful golden innards justice. This mushroom made me think of crackly cinnamon and brown sugar on toast with butter.....

These tiny cups were found on a piece of cut Douglas-fir wood, waiting for a drop of rain to sploosh out the peridioles (egg) as far as a couple of metres. The sticky mucilage that the eggs sit in within the peridium or nest will help them stick where ever they land. The outer wall of the peridiole will eventually decay to release the spores contained within. This is  Nidula candida, nidula meaning "tiny nest" in Latin and candida meaning white.  

When they are younger they have a lid that covers the inside of the nest -this had disappeared by the time that we found these ones. 

Clavulina cristata is a mycorrhizal fungus that grows on the ground and is scattered beneath the Douglas-fir. They start out glowing white and become kind of peachy yellow with age. There are some complications with identification as there is another fungus that will attack this one, changing the colour so that it is similar to a different Clavulina. One author just suggests referring to all white pointy corals as belonging to the "Clavulina cristata group". I'm good with that!

Rubbery, gelatinous and with a bit of a glow makes this fungus somewhat surreal growing from downed woody material and decaying stumps in damp areas.  The spores are produced from the "teeth" or spines that extent from the lower surface. Pseudohydnum gelatinosum is the only jelly fungus with teeth. Cat's Tongue or Jelly Hedgehog are two other descriptive English names. There are two forms, one with a stalk like this one and without. The stalkless for is more common in the east. Where we are not. 

Earthballs (Scleroderma cepa) are a tough skinned, puffball-like fungus that is found in cultivated areas and paths at Leaning Oaks.  They appear in late summer (in areas where we irrigate) or after the rains come in the fall in other parts of the garden.  If you split them the interior is an amazing deep purple colour.  Eventually they crack and split and produce large quantities of dark brown spores. Sometimes when these split they do so in a way that makes them look a messy version of an earthstar. Poisonous, but a useful ectomycorrhizal fungus used as a soil inoculant in agriculture and horticulture.

The Tarspots are a group of fungi that infect leaves.  This one (Rhytisma punctatum) is a common, but relatively benign,  fungus that infects Bigleaf Maple.  It is most notable in the fall when the leaves of Bigleaf Maple start to fall.  At this time of year one can clearly see the black, tarry areas where the fungus sporulates.  The fungus protects the chlorophyll in the leaf from the usual breakdown by bacteria that an autumn leaf experiences.  This  leaves a green spot in the infected area while the rest of the leaf turns yellow.   The result is interesting and sometimes attractive patterns on the carpet of maple leaves on the forest floor.  Today was the first day I noticed significant numbers of Bigleaf Maple leaves on the ground  - another sure sign that summer is truly over. 

Once again, a common and seemingly distinctive species on Leaning Oaks proved to be a more challenging identification exercise than anticipated! This beautifully coloured fungus is found on dead branches of the Garry Oak. These specimens were on branches that had broken off on the ground. 

Most references to this species indicates no accepted English name with one exception that used "Crowded Parchment" which seems aptly descriptive. Dave suggested "Ochraceous False Turkey Tail".   I thought maybe "Ochraceous Ruffled False Turkey Tail". That may be a tad long! Any other suggestions?

Identification was done via the "Trial Key to STEREUM in the Pacific Northwest"  http://www.svims.ca/council/Stereu.htm#nSpe

When I was a park naturalist one of the activities we used to do with school groups was to hand out small pieces of brightly coloured paint chips, in an array of gaudy and improbable colours.  Each student was sent into the forest with the goal of finding some organism that had as close a match to their colour as possible.  If we were doing this with a group in the fall, students would often find this fungus to match yellow or orange colours.  Dacrymces chrysospermus (most field guides call this  D. palmatus) is one of a number of orange jelly fungi found on southern Vancouver Island. Here at Leaning Oaks it almost always grows on Douglas-fir wood that is just starting to decay.  It starts out bright yellow and becomes a rich tangerine orange before almost disappearing completely as a tan scum (see photo below for a very young and almost dried up fruiting body).  A very useful key to the local jelly fungus can be found at http://www.svims.ca/council/Jelly.htm#nYel