cort vanduzerensis mushroom

Description:

A substantial mushroom growing to about 6" high notable for its thick goo on the cap and less so on the stem. The cap emerges as dark brown, but turns out to be a lighter sometimes lavendar-tinged brown streaking from a dark center. The stem is scaley and a lavendar white color, very pristine against its surroundings.

Habitat:

Mixed forest of spruce, hemlock and Douglas fir with red alder and various berry plants. In the woods atop the cliffs within sight of the beach of the Pacific Ocean. This is at the southernmost edge of the area covered in the Cape Perpetua Bioblitz sponsored by the Siuslaw National Forest.

Notes:

This species is unique to the Pacific Northwest. Usually I find it singly or maybe a couple, but at this spot at the head of the Hobbit Trail (it really is signed that) there were several of them in a mossy hollow.