Apparently, the ubiquity of Mushrooms around Estonian forests is a yearly autumn phenomenon. These fungi, from the cute ones, dull ones, to the funky ones, are easily spotted along major hiking sites like the Puhajarv trails.
I am no mycology expert but enoughly aware that certain Species are toxic and deadly, thus, was practically careful to not even touch them. Good thing, taking pictures is very much allowed, making this dump right here very much possible. Props to the mushroom identifier app, these shrooms have their names (plus some cool stuff about them).
Fly Agaric. As one of the more pleasing to the eyes among this bunch, this mushroom is often collected for rituals, largely found as the illustration for several European fairy tales and Christmas traditions, gaining a solid place in the popular culture. Though, it mostly reminds me of the good old Mario Brothers days, being the inspiration for the creation of the super mushroom power-up. Although generally considered poisonous, this species is also known for its hallucinogenic properties due to neurotoxins, ibotenic acid and muscimol, which also reminds me of a particular Grey's Anatomy episode involving a patient who consumed some shrooms.
Shaggy scalycap. Next on this list is this bitter Pholiota squarrosa, most commonly found in clusters underneath old deciduous broadleaf trees and stumps, characterized by scales in its cap as the name suggests. Although some claim that this one is edible and that its bitterness could be easily masked with some soaking and boiling techniques, I guess we would want to always do follow-up checks. I guess some mushrooms are like some humans, toxicity and bitterness are inherent sometimes. And no boiling or masking methods could be remedy enough.
Devil’s Snuffbox. Commonly found in small groups in forest floors, this species is edible when young when its gleba is still white and homogenous, but is considered toxic upon maturity. Do we have to make another mushroom to human analogy here? Anyhow, the younger version resembles the lethal Deathcap, so choose your poison wisely. But other than that, probably the more intersting part of this mushroom narrative is its lycoperdic acid content, a glutamate analog, with relatively unexplored pharmacological studies making it a potentially good subject for scientific works in natural products.
Pocket-Stalked Russula. This medium-sized brown-capped member of the Russula genus grows both in wet and arid areas, associated with various trees as pines, oaks, and spruce. It gives off a waxy benzaldehydic odor, thus, not edible in general. But it's not dangerous either as there are no known fatally toxic Russulas in Europe. One gripping technique I learned to determine the edibility of mushrooms in this family is putting a portion of the mushroom flesh in one's tongue. The edible ones give no violent taste while the toxic groups could cause a burning sensation. But noting the rule of thumb, I dared not try to validate if this hack actually works.
Pear-Shaped Puffball. The mushrooms of this species are in clusters, attached to fallen trees and stumps via mycelia. It's saprobic which means that it plays an essential role in the ecosystem breaking down tough woods for nutrients to return back to the soil. So, cheers to these shrooms for their heavy contribution by doing their own little ways that help in maintaining the balance and sustain harmonious relationships among organisms. If only humans could draw some inspiration from these, what a wonderful world we'll be having.
Shaggy mane. As a bio-accumulator of heavy metals, this species should not be eaten; even more so dangerous when paired with alcohol upon ingestion. But among all the other mushrooms listed here, this one is my favorite, not because it's pretty and pure on the outside (neat & white originally) , but because it has a story to tell that's too dramatically vivid, it makes me cringe. During its deliquescence, a natural mechanism for spore dispersal, it releases a black liquid that seems to melt its entire cap (mistakenly suspected by a hike-mate to have been intentionally burned by someone) until only the stem remains to ensure future reproduction. In all fairness, some humans are capable of such, self-destructive all for the ones they love.
