Dead Man's Foot
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Lisa Millbank
Oct 23, 2014, 6:44:53 PM10/23/14
to Mid-valley Nature
Halloween and mushroom season always go together, and I've always
thought it would be fun to find a Satan's Bolete, Witch's Butter, or
a Jack-O'-Lantern Mushroom on Halloween.
I have found one scary-looking mushroom lately: the Dead Man's Foot (probably Pisolithus arrhizus, formerly P. tinctorius). With a little imagination, maybe it's reminiscent of a zombie's foot clawing its way out of the ground. But it also has a strong resemblance to a pile of dog poop, at least at a glance. I'm sure I've overlooked these in the past because they look more like something I don't want to step in than an interesting fungus.
Some people collect Dead Man's Foot and use the powdery, reddish-brown spores to dye fibers and fabrics in rich shades from purplish-brown to gold. In one of the attached pictures, the spores are coating the ground. It's also a helpful ectomycorrhizal associate with Oregon White Oaks, and I've read that it's used commercially to help shrubs and trees establish themselves.
This mighty mushroom is able to push through thin layers of asphalt or lift patio bricks...but even soft-textured Shaggy Manes can perform similar feats of strength. Dead Man's Foot is related to boletes and hard-skinned puffballs (which includes the earthballs--soon to be showing up in lawns and gardens!).
Lisa Millbank
www.neighborhood-naturalist.com
I have found one scary-looking mushroom lately: the Dead Man's Foot (probably Pisolithus arrhizus, formerly P. tinctorius). With a little imagination, maybe it's reminiscent of a zombie's foot clawing its way out of the ground. But it also has a strong resemblance to a pile of dog poop, at least at a glance. I'm sure I've overlooked these in the past because they look more like something I don't want to step in than an interesting fungus.
Some people collect Dead Man's Foot and use the powdery, reddish-brown spores to dye fibers and fabrics in rich shades from purplish-brown to gold. In one of the attached pictures, the spores are coating the ground. It's also a helpful ectomycorrhizal associate with Oregon White Oaks, and I've read that it's used commercially to help shrubs and trees establish themselves.
This mighty mushroom is able to push through thin layers of asphalt or lift patio bricks...but even soft-textured Shaggy Manes can perform similar feats of strength. Dead Man's Foot is related to boletes and hard-skinned puffballs (which includes the earthballs--soon to be showing up in lawns and gardens!).
Lisa Millbank
www.neighborhood-naturalist.com
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