At the time of this writing 5 out of 6 commentators prefer white worms over Jack.
Now that I’ve whetted your appetite it’s time to serve them up.

I found white worms on dangerous ground. Poison Ivy thinly dappled the area where the white worms emerged from the ground in scattered clusters.

Braving the ivy I got down to its level in order to capture images of this ephemeral fungi.

White Worm Coral Mushroom – Clavaria vermicularis

I successfully managed to play ‘Twister’ with the poison ivy and got a couple of decent photos. (anytime you play Twister and walk away without developing an oozing rash is a win in my book)

These mushrooms are very brittle. Just a touch is enough to break them.
Supposedly when wet they become almost translucent.

The incredible edible white worm coral fungus.
Yep, that’s correct, these mushrooms are edible.
Trouble is, collecting more than a mouthful is incredibly difficult unless you’re a mini dino.

…and no, I didn’t eat any. Fungus belongs between my toes – not in my mouth.

Wonder who the lone vote for Jack was? She’s a regular visitor that comes from a long way away. Set in South Africa somewhere she frequently lurks about WiseAcre Gardens and leaves me nice comments. I said I wouldn’t forget who stuck by me while I was out of commission. I hope a little link love for Elephant’s Eye goes a long way.

Pookey started it all. She had to go out and she wouldn’t go without me. With looks like that, how can I resist. …and that’s not even close to her sad face. Here’s she’s just a bit upset because Stewy followed us.

But thanks to Stewy the bright yellow mushrooms in the lawn caught my attention. (They were just out of sight behind him)

Golden Waxy Cap – Hygrocybe flavescens

…is my best guess to the identity of this mushrom

synonym – Hygrophorus flavescens
The mushroom’s gills

Knowing it takes lab tests and DNA comparisions to properly identify Hygrocybe species makes me feel better. I get so discombobulated attempting to identify mushrooms I almost don’t want to photograph them. Yet I do and then spend way too much time trying to identify something like this one.

This orange waxy cap was growing only a few feet away from the yellow ones. It looked like two distinct colonies of fungi but from what I’ve read it wouldn’t surprise me if they were all the same. If not it’s still most likely to be another Hygrocybe species.

Yellow Lichen

Xanthomendoza I presume.
All I really know is that it’s yellow, foliose and shouldn’t be growing on my finger like that.

We circled the yard stopping often while I took photographs. Dog got bored and left but Stewy stuck with me the whole time no matter how boring it got being with me.

Orange Nod

Found growing under an Ash tree – check
Stem growing off-center – check
Olive to yellow-browm irregularly shaped cap – check
Yellowish flesh – check
Pore tubes shallow, resembling gills radiating from stalk- double check

My Peterson Field Guide to Mushrooms calls this a Shallow Pore Bolete.
My National Audubon Society Field Guide to Mushrooms uses the common name Ash Tree Bolete.
Both guides use the scientific name – Boletinellus merulioides but MushroomExpert.com uses Gyrodon merulioides

Ash Tree Bolete – Gyrodon merulioides

Although this fungus is associated with ash tress it is really having an affair with an aphid that has a taste for ash. The leaf curl ash aphid – Prociphilus fraxinifolii, (Meliarhizophagus fraxinifolii) occurs on the roots and leaves of ash trees in a mutually beneficial association with the ash tree bolete. The mushroom provides protection by surrounding the aphid within a knot of mycelium while the fungus uses the aphid’s honeydew as a nutrient source.

ash tree bolete pore surface

Ash tree boletes are edible according to nearly every guide I’ve read. Only one source described them as inedible. Another source mentioned them as ‘good’ when young. You’ll have to be the judge – I haven’t put fungus in my mouth since I stopped sucking on my toes.