Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Bleeding Hydnellum

On 12 August 2016, friend Dorothy phoned and asked if I'd like to go with them to Kananaskis for the day. A last minute decision - and of course I said yes! What a great day we had in the mountains, with perfect weather and so many mushrooms to keep all three of us happy. The highlight for me was when we saw Strawberries and Cream fungi / Hynellum peckii, my favourite fungus. Quite a few of them, too, which was a real treat, as we don't usually come across them. When I think how many endless rainy days we had been having the previous few weeks, we were so lucky that the sun shone, the temperature was pleasant, and a slight breeze kept comfort levels just right. Our first brief stop was at a pond on the way to Bragg Creek, where a mutual friend had been seeing a Common Loon, but there was no sign of it when we were there. From there, once we eventually reached the mountains, we stopped at a large pond to check for birds and kept our eyes open for any mushrooms. The ground seemed too dry here, for any fungi to be growing. However, we were treated to wonderful views of a beautiful Osprey perched on top of a tall coniferous tree further down the path. It flew to a few different trees and then finally made the plunge for a fish, with success. What a splash it made! Once caught, the Osprey flew out of sight - maybe it had a nest somewhere with young ones to feed. Our next stop was further into the mountains and we found that the ground was damper and more conducive to the growth of mushrooms. I suspect that after all the rain we had last summer, one could find mushrooms growing almost anywhere. We were certainly lucky at this location, finding various species. One of the highlights of the day for me was seeing one of my favourite fungi, Strawberries and Cream fungus / Hydnellum peckii. The individuals we saw were not hugely photogenic, but wonderful to see, both at this location and our next stop, at Kananaskis Lakes. This species has "teeth", not gills underneath. "Hydnellum peckii is an inedible (though not toxic) fungus, and a member of the genus Hydnellum of the family Bankeraceae. It is a hydnoid species, producing spores on the surface of vertical spines or tooth-like projections that hang from the undersurface of the fruit bodies. It is found in North America, Europe, and was recently discovered in Iran (2008) and Korea (2010). Hydnellum peckii is a mycorrhizal species, and forms mutually beneficial relationships with a variety of coniferous trees, growing on the ground singly, scattered, or in fused masses. The fruit bodies typically have a funnel-shaped cap with a white edge, although the shape can be highly variable. Young, moist fruit bodies can "bleed" a bright red fluid that contains a pigment known to have anticoagulant properties similar to heparin. The unusual appearance of the young fruit bodies has earned the species several descriptive common names, including strawberries and cream, the bleeding Hydnellum, the bleeding tooth fungus, the red-juice tooth, and the Devil's tooth. Although Hydnellum peckii fruit bodies are readily identifiable when young, they become brown and nondescript when they age." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydnellum_peckii Lunch was eaten at a convenient picnic table right by a large creek after this first mushroom walk. While we were sitting there, a cute little Chipmunk (Least Chipmunk?) stopped long enough to take a quick peek at us through the tall grass blades. I suspect it thought it was well hidden. After our lunch, we drove to Kananaskis Lakes and went for a most enjoyable hike - a very slow one, as there were mushrooms everywhere! We had been along this trail in previous years and had found a good variety of fungi. There were so many people on the trail! Good to see everyone out enjoying the good weather, fresh mountain air, and beautiful scenery. My friends returned to the same areas two days later and found about two-thirds less the number of mushrooms.. Thanks so much, Dorothy and Stephen, not just for this great day out, but for also helping to make my wait for my new car to arrive, easier! Greatly appreciated.

Eight evenings ago, on 12 August 2016, friend Dorothy phoned and asked if I'd like to go with them to Kananaskis the next day. A last minute decision - and of course I said yes! What a great day we had in the mountains, with perfect weather and so many mushrooms to keep all three of us happy. The highlight for me was when we saw Strawberries and Cream fungi / Hynellum peckii, my favourite fungus. Quite a few of them, too, which was a real treat, as we don't usually come across them. When I think how many endless rainy days we have been having the last few weeks, we were so lucky that the sun shone, the temperature was pleasant, and a slight breeze kept comfort levels just right. Our first brief stop was at a pond on the way to Bragg Creek, where a mutual friend had seen a Common Loon, but there was no sign of it when we were there. From there, once we eventually reached the mountains, we stopped at a large pond to check for birds and kept our eyes open for any mushrooms. The ground seemed too dry here, for any fungus to be growing. However, we were treated to wonderful views of a beautiful Osprey perched on top of a tall coniferous tree further down the path. It flew to a few different trees and then finally made the plunge for a fish, with success. What a splash it made! Once caught, it flew out of sight - maybe it had a nest somewhere with young ones to feed. Our next stop was further into the mountains and we found that the ground was damper and more conducive to the growth of mushrooms. I suspect that after all the rain we've had this summer, one could find mushrooms growing almost anywhere now. We were certainly lucky at this location, finding various species. The individual Hydnellum peckii fungi that we saw were not hugely photogenic, but wonderful to see, both at this location and our next stop, at Kananaskis Lakes. This species has "teeth", not gills underneath, which you can just make out in this photo. "Hydnellum peckii is an inedible (though not toxic) fungus, and a member of the genus Hydnellum of the family Bankeraceae. It is a hydnoid species, producing spores on the surface of vertical spines or tooth-like projections that hang from the undersurface of the fruit bodies. It is found in North America, Europe, and was recently discovered in Iran (2008) and Korea (2010). Hydnellum peckii is a mycorrhizal species, and forms mutually beneficial relationships with a variety of coniferous trees, growing on the ground singly, scattered, or in fused masses. The fruit bodies typically have a funnel-shaped cap with a white edge, although the shape can be highly variable. Young, moist fruit bodies can "bleed" a bright red fluid that contains a pigment known to have anticoagulant properties similar to heparin. The unusual appearance of the young fruit bodies has earned the species several descriptive common names, including strawberries and cream, the bleeding Hydnellum, the bleeding tooth fungus, the red-juice tooth, and the Devil's tooth. Although Hydnellum peckii fruit bodies are readily identifiable when young, they become brown and nondescript when they age." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydnellum_peckii Lunch was eaten at a convenient picnic table right by a large creek after this first walk. While we were sitting there, a cute little Chipmunk (Least Chipmunk?) stopped long enough to take a quick peek at us through the tall grass blades. I suspect it thought it was well hidden. After our lunch, we drove to Kananaskis Lakes and went for a most enjoyable hike - a very slow one, as there were lots of mushrooms! We had been along this trail in previous years and had found a good variety of fungi. There were so many people on the trail! Good to see everyone out enjoying the good weather, fresh mountain air, and beautiful scenery. Thanks so much, Dorothy and Stephen, not just for this great day out, but for also helping to make my wait for my new car to arrive, easier! Greatly appreciated.

Three evenings ago, friend Dorothy phoned and asked if I'd like to go with them to Kananaskis for the day. A last minute decision - and of course I said yes! What a great day we had in the mountains, with perfect weather and so many mushrooms to keep all three of us happy. The highlight for me was when we saw Strawberries and Cream fungi / Hynellum peckii, my favourite fungus. Quite a few of them, too, which was a real treat, as we don't usually come across them. When I think how many endless rainy days we have been having the last few weeks, we were so lucky that the sun shone, the temperature was pleasant, and a slight breeze kept comfort levels just right. Our first brief stop was at a pond on the way to Bragg Creek, where a mutual friend had been seeing a Common Loon, but there was no sign of it when we were there. From there, once we eventually reached the mountains, we stopped at a large pond to check for birds and kept our eyes open for any mushrooms. The ground seemed too dry here, for any fungus to be growing. However, we were treated to wonderful views of a beautiful Osprey perched on top of a tall coniferous tree further down the path. It flew to a few different trees and then finally made the plunge for a fish, with success. What a splash it made! Once caught, it flew out of sight - maybe it had a nest somewhere with young ones to feed. Our next stop was further into the mountains and we found that the ground was damper and more conducive to the growth of mushrooms. I suspect that after all the rain we've had this summer, one could find mushrooms growing almost anywhere now. We were certainly lucky at this location, finding various species. The individual Hydnellum peckii fungi that we saw were not hugely photogenic, but wonderful to see, both at this location and our next stop, at Kananaskis Lakes. This species has "teeth", not gills underneath, which unfortunately you can't see in this photo. Maybe I will add a couple of previously posted photos in a comment box below. Lunch was eaten at a convenient picnic table right by a large creek after this first walk. While we were sitting there, a cute little Chipmunk (Least Chipmunk?) stopped long enough to take a quick peek at us through the tall grass blades. I suspect it thought it was well hidden. After our lunch, we drove to Kananaskis Lakes and went for a most enjoyable hike - a very slow one, as there were lots of mushrooms! We had been along this trail in previous years and had found a good variety of fungi. There were so many people on the trail! Good to see everyone out enjoying the good weather, fresh mountain air, and beautiful scenery. Thanks so much, Dorothy and Stephen, not just for this great day out, but for also helping to make my wait for my new car to arrive, easier! Greatly appreciated.

I was so thrilled to see this rare fungus (Hydnellum peckii) again, when friend Sandy and I went along the Icefields Parkway to Peyto Lake (and a little further, to Mistaya Canyon), on 29 August 2013. I had seen it maybe three or so times before, but it is such a treat to see. So unusual and beautiful. There were several of these all together along the trail to the lake lookout - and nearby was a blue species, complete with a few blueish-white droplets. While we were looking at them and I was taking photos, a young guy stopped to see what we were looking at. He, too, took photos. A short while later, we bumped into him at the Peyto Lake lookout and he showed us his hands and fingers that had turned orange. I wondered if he had actually touched the fungus. On our walk back through the forest to the parking lot, I stopped to take a few more photos of them, resting my hands on the ground. Sure enough, I ended up with orange hands, too. Would this be from spores? This specimen may have been something like an inch in length, and has "teeth", not gills underneath, which unfortunately you can't see. "Hydnellum peckii is an inedible fungus, and a member of the genus Hydnellum of the family Bankeraceae. It is a hydnoid species, producing spores on the surface of vertical spines or tooth-like projections that hang from the undersurface of the fruit bodies. It is found in North America, Europe, and was recently discovered in Iran (2008) and Korea (2010). Hydnellum peckii is a mycorrhizal species, and forms mutually beneficial relationships with a variety of coniferous trees, growing on the ground singly, scattered, or in fused masses. The fruit bodies typically have a funnel-shaped cap with a white edge, although the shape can be highly variable. Young, moist fruit bodies can "bleed" a bright red juice that contains a pigment known to have anticoagulant properties similar to heparin. The unusual appearance of the young fruit bodies has earned the species several descriptive common names, including strawberries and cream, the bleeding Hydnellum, the bleeding tooth fungus, the red-juice tooth, and the Devil's tooth. Although Hydnellum peckii fruit bodies are readily identifiable when young, they become brown and nondescript when they age." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydnellum_peckii The following has been taken from the excellent UBC Botany Photo of the Day website (September 2013), which used this image: "Hydnellum peckii, of the Bankeraceae, is a species of fungus that is widely distributed in North America. The aboveground growth is typically observed in the late summer or autumn, either growing in clusters or occurring singly. This species forms an ectomycorrhizal relationship with several different species of conifers. The caps are often pinkish, but can be white to brown to black, as the colour and texture vary depending on age and the environmental conditions. In moist weather, bright red droplets often appear atop the cap, making this mushroom easy to identify. Characteristic to this genus, the spores are produced on pendant tooth-like projections called spines. The spores are brown, round to nearly round, and are prominently warted. The solid or woody stalk is cylindrical and is generally tapered toward the base (see: Arora, D. 1986. Mushrooms Demystified. Berkeley California: Ten Speed Press). This mushroom is considered inedible, at least partly due to its burning-acrid taste and tough corky texture." www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/potd/2013/09/hydnellum-peckii.php

On Sunday 26 August 2012, there was supposed to be a day trip to one of my favourite places, Brown-Lowery Provincial Park, SW of Calgary. I guess no one else turned up at the meeting place in the city for this trip - I had decided to drive straight to the park, but hadn't told anyone my plans. After waiting an extra half hour at the park, I realized no one else had been able, or wanted, to go. The forest sure looked dark before the sun reached it and, even though there was one vehicle parked there - the place always gives me the creeps, ha - I just didn't fancy going in there. I thought the bears and cougars might still be looking for their breakfast, lol! So, I drove out to Maclean Pond, off Elbow Falls Trail, and had a look around. Funny how things work out - I was amazed and delighted to come across several small Strawberries and Cream fungi hidden in the grass under the Spruce (?) trees. All were old ones, but the one in my photo (maybe an inch and a quarter across the cap) was still at a young stage, with just one ruby coloured droplet. I think I've seen this species only two, maybe three, times before. The previous day, I had been on a mushroom foray in West Bragg Creek, and one of the fungi species we were keeping our eyes open for was Strawberries and Cream - but we were out of luck. Couldn't believe my eyes when I spotted them at Maclean Pond. On my way home from Maclean Pond, I decided to call in at the west end of Fish Creek Park, as I have found various species of fungi there before. Was happy to find several little Earth Star fungi (image posted yesterday). So, it definitely turned out to be a rewarding day. "Hydnellum peckii is an inedible fungus, and a member of the genus Hydnellum of the family Bankeraceae. It is a hydnoid species, producing spores on the surface of vertical spines or tooth-like projections that hang from the undersurface of the fruit bodies. It is found in North America, Europe, and was recently discovered in Iran (2008) and Korea (2010). Hydnellum peckii is a mycorrhizal species, and forms mutually beneficial relationships with a variety of coniferous trees, growing on the ground singly, scattered, or in fused masses. The fruit bodies typically have a funnel-shaped cap with a white edge, although the shape can be highly variable. Young, moist fruit bodies can "bleed" a bright red juice that contains a pigment known to have anticoagulant properties similar to heparin. The unusual appearance of the young fruit bodies has earned the species several descriptive common names, including strawberries and cream, the bleeding Hydnellum, the bleeding tooth fungus, the red-juice tooth, and the Devil's tooth. Although Hydnellum peckii fruit bodies are readily identifiable when young, they become brown and nondescript when they age." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydnellum_peckii

I've just hit the time of day (early evening) when the sun comes into my computer room at just the wrong angle and plays havoc with what I'm viewing on my monitor. So, I can't tell if this photo is too dark or not - have a feeling it is, in which case I will have to brighten and replace. I couldn't believe my eyes when I first spotted a small splash of pink among the mosses on our day in the forest at West Bragg Creek, Kananaskis, two days ago. Then I noticed the blood-red droplets looking rather like cherries in a muffin or cupcake : ) My friends had just passed by the spot a couple of minutes earlier, so I called them over. When Doug was quite excited, I knew that I had found something of interest, LOL! Hydnellum peckii is also known as Bleeding Hydnellum, the bleeding tooth fungus, the red-juice tooth, the Devil's tooth, or Peck's hydnum, but I kind of like "Strawberries and cream" best of all : ) "Hydnellum peckii is an inedible fungus, and a member of the genus Hydnellum, a group of species that produce spores on the surface of vertical spines or teeth that cover the undersurface of the cap .... Young, moist fruit bodies can "bleed" a bright red juice that contains a mushroom pigment known to have anticoagulant properties similar to heparin. Although the fruit bodies are readily identifiable when young, they become brown and nondescript when they age. Hydnellum peckii is a mycorrhizal species, and forms mutually beneficial relationships with a variety of coniferous trees." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydnellum_peckii

On Sunday 26 August 2012, there was supposed to be a day trip to one of my favourite places, Brown-Lowery Provincial Park, SW of Calgary. I guess no one else turned up at the meeting place in the city for this trip - I had decided to drive straight to the park, but hadn't told anyone my plans. After waiting an extra half hour at the park, I realized no one else had been able, or wanted, to go. The forest sure looked dark before the sun reached it and, even though there was one vehicle parked there - the place always gives me the creeps, ha - I just didn't fancy going in there. I thought the bears and cougars might still be looking for their breakfast, lol! So, I drove out to Maclean Pond, off Elbow Falls Trail, and had a look around. Funny how things work out - I was amazed and delighted to come across several small Strawberries and Cream fungi hidden in the grass under the Spruce (?) trees. All were old ones, but the one in my photo (maybe an inch and a quarter across the cap) was still at a young stage, with just one ruby coloured droplet. I think I've seen this species only two, maybe three, times before. The previous day, I had been on a mushroom foray in West Bragg Creek, and one of the fungi species we were keeping our eyes open for was Strawberries and Cream - but we were out of luck. Couldn't believe my eyes when I spotted them at Maclean Pond. On my way home from Maclean Pond, I decided to call in at the west end of Fish Creek Park, as I have found various species of fungi there before. Was happy to find several little Earth Star fungi (image posted yesterday). So, it definitely turned out to be a rewarding day. "Hydnellum peckii is an inedible fungus, and a member of the genus Hydnellum of the family Bankeraceae. It is a hydnoid species, producing spores on the surface of vertical spines or tooth-like projections that hang from the undersurface of the fruit bodies. It is found in North America, Europe, and was recently discovered in Iran (2008) and Korea (2010). Hydnellum peckii is a mycorrhizal species, and forms mutually beneficial relationships with a variety of coniferous trees, growing on the ground singly, scattered, or in fused masses. The fruit bodies typically have a funnel-shaped cap with a white edge, although the shape can be highly variable. Young, moist fruit bodies can "bleed" a bright red juice that contains a pigment known to have anticoagulant properties similar to heparin. The unusual appearance of the young fruit bodies has earned the species several descriptive common names, including strawberries and cream, the bleeding Hydnellum, the bleeding tooth fungus, the red-juice tooth, and the Devil's tooth. Although Hydnellum peckii fruit bodies are readily identifiable when young, they become brown and nondescript when they age." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydnellum_peckii www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/7881395994