Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Lichen Agaric/Mushroom Lichen

I always love discovering one of these very small mushrooms in the forest. This was one of the very few fungi I could find on that day, at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park, as this season has been very poor. Not sure if this is the lichen that produces mushroom-like growths. IF it is, then the information below would apply. Once again, I am turning to a great online resource - Doug (dougwaylett). I have looked on several websites for information on Lichenomphalia, but anything I found was far too technical for me to understand. Doug has explained more simply how this little beauty is both a Lichen and a Mushroom. "Lichenomphallia umbellifera 'Lichen Agaric/Mushroom Lichen' is a fungus/lichen that is almost always found growing on a rotting log that is coated with algae. Lichenomphallia is a genus of lichenized Basidomycetes or club fungi which has spores produced on club-shaped basidia. The lichen fungus resembles a mushroom and the algae are concentrated in special tissues or lobes at the base of the fruiting body. This plant is found in both books on Lichens and books on Mushrooms usually under the genus Omphalina." Doug Waylett. Thanks so much, Doug, for confirming my ID! I did wonder if that was algae growing down at the left lower edge. Now, the ground is covered in white, after it snowed overnight : ( It's -8C (17F) just before 11:00 a.m. and snow is forecast for the rest of the day and evening, if it happens. Looks like the days after that should be cold, but sunny. And so winter begins ....

I'm not sure if this is Lichenomphallia umbellifera, Lichen Agaric/Mushroom Lichen. Just a tiny thing, seen out at Maclean Pond, Kananaskis on 27th July last year. Doug, if you should happen to see this image, perhaps you could say if it might be or not?