Spored Silly

With more than 70,000 identified species representing the kingdom of fungi, these cryptic organisms are anything but boring (as punned in the headline). And ‘tis the season for fruiting bodies of the mushroom variety to display their earthy weirdness in a forest near you. As the warm days and cool nights of late summer transition toward the Southward equinox, we’ll hopefully see more fungi thriving, including local favorites, the chanterelle and king bolete (which, unfortunately for this mushroom hunter, aren’t pictured here). Here’s a look (and always remember, ingesting unknown wild mushrooms can be hazardous to your health):