Lichen The Vibe

Most deer mushrooms in the genus Pluteus are associated with brown or gray caps, but Pluteus pellitus , commonly known as the Ghost Shield, takes a strikingly different form. Its pale white to creamy fruitbodies can...

The familiar deer mushroom growing on rotting logs is actually at the center of a cryptic species complex revealed through DNA studies , and true Pluteus cervinus is distinguished by its free pink-spored gills...

The familiar deer mushroom found growing on rotting hardwood may look like a straightforward species, but DNA research revealed something much more complicated: the traditional concept of Pluteus cervinus actually...

This pale oyster mushroom thrives in warmer conditions while producing lovastatin analogs, ergothioneine and bioactive polysaccharides — and its enzyme secretome changes with the substrate it encounters. Dive deeper on...

The classic oyster mushroom prefers familiar temperate conditions, but its close relative Pleurotus pulmonarius is built for warmer environments — and its biology goes well beyond simply tolerating heat. Dive deeper on...

The everyday oyster mushroom has a second lifestyle that most people never see: it can chemically attack and immobilize microscopic nematodes. Pleurotus ostreatus combines wood decomposition with a sophisticated form of...

The oyster mushroom is one of the most familiar fungi on Earth — but behind its reputation as a cultivated food is a surprisingly sophisticated predator. Pleurotus ostreatus can decompose hardwood, capture microscopic...

What makes the Golden Oyster Mushroom chemically unusual? Pleurotus citrinopileatus combines its unmistakable golden-yellow appearance with high levels of ergothioneine , diverse polysaccharides and an increasingly...

The Golden Oyster Mushroom is famous for its brilliant yellow clusters, but its chemistry may be even more interesting than its appearance. Pleurotus citrinopileatus is an edible, widely cultivated oyster mushroom...

What looks like a fragile little woodland mushroom is actually a remarkably interesting chemical system. Mycena haematopus , commonly known as the Bleeding Mycena or Bleeding Fairy Helmet, combines a distinctive...

A tiny woodland mushroom can produce a dark red to purplish liquid when its stem is damaged — and the chemistry behind that “bleeding” is far more unusual than its delicate appearance suggests. This episode takes a...

Why does a polypore sometimes look nothing like the classic bracket fungus? In this focused episode, we explore Picipes tubaeformis , the Trumpet Polypore, a relatively uncommon wood-rotting fungus recognized by its...

Picipes tubaeformis , commonly called the Trumpet Polypore , breaks one of the most familiar images of a polypore: instead of forming a thick shelf or bracket, this uncommon fungus produces a slender, trumpet- or...

Phyllotopsis nidulans is a striking wood-decaying mushroom that can be surprisingly unpleasant to smell. Its bright orange-to-yellow fruiting bodies may look inviting, but the odor has earned this species a reputation...

One of the Northern Hemisphere’s most recognizable wood-inhabiting mushrooms looks vaguely like an oyster mushroom—but its powerful skunk-cabbage or rotten-egg odor quickly gives it away. Phyllotopsis nidulans also...