Woodwild Park, Metuchen, NJ

Fungi and Slime Molds

Many different species of fungi can be found in Woodwild Park. Also present are slime molds, which may look like fungi but are scientifically classified as protista. Although most specimens can be very long-lived, the parts that we can see, i.e., the fruiting bodies, often last just a few days.

Caution! The identification of all fungi (and plants and animals) is tentative and has not been confirmed by experts. Furthermore, when you encounter fungi in the park, they may or may not be the same as the ones shown here, even if they look the same. All fungi should be considered poisonous and non-edible.

All pictures were taken in Woodwild Park.

If you believe we've misidentified a species, please send email to info@woodwildpark.org

		Species:	Photo:	Details:	Last Updated:
1		Beefsteak Fungus			May 25, 2012
		Beefsteak Polypore	see Beefsteak Fungus
2		Birch Bracket			August 16, 2009
		Birch Polypore	see Birch Bracket
		Black Jelly Roll	see Black Witches' Butter
3		Black Witches' Butter			May 28, 2012
		Bleeding Hydnellum	see Bleeding Tooth Fungus
4		Bleeding Tooth Fungus			June 25, 2011
5		Brittlegill (red)			August 12, 2009
6		Brown-toothed Crust			May 28, 2012
		Burgundy Mushroom	see King Stropharia
7		Buttery Collybia			September 2, 2012
8		Carnival Candy Slime Mold			May 25, 2012
9		Chicken of the Woods			September 2, 2012
10		Chocolate Tube Slime Mold			June 9, 2011
11		Cinnabar-red Polypore			May 25, 2012
		Clustered Woodlover	see Sulphur Tuft
		Collared Parachute	see Pinwheel Mushroom
12		Common Bonnet			May 24, 2011
13		Common Earthball			September 30, 2009
14		Common Greenshield Lichen			June 17, 2011
15		Common Puffball			October 29, 2010
		Conifer Mazegill	see Rusty Gilled Polypore
		Coral Slime	see White Coral Slime Mold
16		Crown-tipped Coral Fungus			June 17, 2017
		Crumble Cap	see Fairy Bonnet
17		Deceiving Milkcap			October 25, 2010
18		Deep Root			August 12, 2009
19		Deer Mushroom			September 2, 2012
		Devil's Snuff-box	see Common Puffball
		Devil's Tooth Fungus	see Bleeding Tooth Fungus
20		Dog Vomit Slime Mold			June 25, 2011
21		Dryad's Saddle			May 7, 2011
		Earthball	see Common Earthball
22		Eastern Flat-topped Agaricus			June 25, 2011
23		Fairy Bonnet			October 4, 2009
24		False Puffball			August 12, 2009
25		False Turkey Tail			August 29, 2009
26		Fiber Cap			August 5, 2009
27		Freckled Dapperling			August 23, 2009
		Garden Giant	see King Stropharia
		Gem-studded Puffball	see Common Puffball
28		Giant Puffball			July 15, 2010
29		Glistening Ink Cap			May 22, 2011
		Godzilla Mushroom	see King Stropharia
		Golden Curtain Crust	see False Turkey Tail
		Golden Jelly Fungus	see Witch's Butter
		Green-cracking Russula	see Quilted Green Russula
		Green Brittlegill	see Quilted Green Russula
30		Green Elfcup			May 28, 2012
		Green Shield	see Common Greenshield Lichen
		Green Wood Cup	see Green Elfcup
		Groening's Slime	see Wolf's Milk Slime Mold
31		Hen of the Woods			May 28, 2012
32		Hexagonal-pored Polypore			September 2, 2012
		Horse Hair Fungus	see Pinwheel Mushroom
33		Indian Oyster			June 10, 2011
34		King Stropharia			May 25, 2012
		Little Wheel	see Pinwheel Mushroom
		Lung Oyster	see Indian Oyster
		Maitake	see Hen of the Woods
		Mary Peck's Russula	see Purple-bloom Russula
		Mica Cap	see Glistening Ink Cap
35		Milk-white Toothed Polypore			June 12, 2011
		Moldy Russula	see Quilted Green Russula
		Orange Amanita	see Yellow Patches
		Ox Tongue	see Beefsteak Fungus
36		Oyster Mushroom			October 4, 2009
37		Pear-shaped Puffball			May 28, 2012
		Pheasant's Back	see Dryad's Saddle
		Phoenix Mushroom	see Indian Oyster
		Pigskin Poison Puffball	see Common Earthball
38		Pinwheel Mushroom			May 25, 2012
39		Pleated Inkcap			July 15, 2010
40		Plums and Custard			August 8, 2009
41		Purple-bloom Russula			September 2, 2012
42		Purple Brittlegill			May 25, 2012
43		Quilted Green Russula			May 25, 2012
		Ram's Head	see Hen of the Woods
		Razor Strop	see Birch Bracket
		Red-haired Agaric	see Plums and Custard
		Red-juice Tooth Fungus	see Bleeding Tooth Fungus
44		Red Raspberry Slime			June 20, 2011
45		Rusty Gilled Polypore			September 2, 2012
		Sheep's Head	see Hen of the Woods
		Signorina Mushroom	see Hen of the Woods
46		Split Gill			May 25, 2012
		Strawberries And Cream	see Bleeding Tooth Fungus
47		Sulphur Tuft			September 1, 2010
48		Tapioca Slime Mold			June 25, 2011
		Toothpaste Slime Mold	see Wolf's Milk Slime Mold
		Trooping Crumble Cap	see Fairy Bonnet
49		Turkey Tail			September 2, 2012
50		Two-colored Bolete			June 25, 2011
51		Violet-toothed Polypore			June 19, 2011
		Warted Puffball	see Common Puffball
		Warty Jelly Fungus	see Black Witches' Butter
52		White-rot Fungus			June 1, 2011
53		White Cheese Polypore			September 2, 2012
54		White Coral Slime Mold			June 20, 2011
		White Finger Slime	see White Coral Slime Mold
		Wine Cap Stropharia	see King Stropharia
55		Witch's Butter			September 2, 2012
56		Wolf's Milk Slime Mold			September 2, 2012
57		Wood Mushroom			May 28, 2012
		Yellow-dust Amanita	see Yellow Patches
		Yellow-Red Gill Polypore	see Rusty Gilled Polypore
		Yellow Brain	see Witch's Butter
58		Yellow Patches			May 28, 2012
		Yellow Trembler	see Witch's Butter
		Yellow Wart	see Yellow Patches

The 58 species that have been identified so far include 49 fungi, 1 lichen, and 8 slime molds.

Resources

Below, in alphabetical order, are some of the resources that were consulted in identifying the specimens in the park.

• Central Pennsylvania Wild Mushroom Club
• Mushroom Expert
• Mushroom Observer
• MycoBabble (a blog)
• Roger's Mushrooms
• Slime Moulds: the most remarkable organisms
• Tapioca Slime, Brefeldia maxima
• Tom Volk's Fungi
• Tom Volk's Fungi Collection (Pictures Only)

Unidentified Specimens

The specimens in the pictures below have not yet been identified.

Unidentified Fungi and Slime Molds in Woodwild Park, Part 1
Unidentified Fungi and Slime Molds in Woodwild Park, Part 2
Unidentified Fungi and Slime Molds in Woodwild Park, Part 3
Unidentified Fungi and Slime Molds in Woodwild Park, Part 4
Unidentified Fungi and Slime Molds in Woodwild Park, Part 5
Unidentified Fungi and Slime Molds in Woodwild Park, Part 6
Unidentified Fungi and Slime Molds in Woodwild Park, Part 7
Unidentified Fungi and Slime Molds in Woodwild Park, Part 8