Fungal Boogie is a new CD by Zoe Wood and Larry Evans features 13 songs about fungi, edible and otherwise, in a range of musical styles that includes blues, calypso, polka, and rockabilly. Click here to hear a sample of the CD on this mushroom.

These fragile fungi are far flung in distribution. Often the stems of Psathyrella are hollow, and while the stems may be ornamented, they rarely have much of an annulus; the veil material usually attaches to the margin of the cap instead. Several hundred species have been described in the Pacific Northwest alone.

 

This Psathyrella was growing in the botanical gardens in Quito, Ecuador.

 

Here is a species of Psathyrella that was common in the burn areas in Alaska. Note the hygrophanous cap, the hollow stipe, and the closely spaced attached gills.