Beyond Any Shadow Of Doubt

Day 15: For good reason, mycological societies across the country often hold what they term "Survivors' Banquets" to celebrate the Autumn mushrooming season. Many species of 'shrooms so closely resemble one another that it is impossible to tell them apart without taking a spore print and studying the spores under a microscope.

In this realm, a mistake can be deadly, and for that reason I collect only "beginners' species," those which I know beyond any shadow of doubt. The specimens shown above do not belong to that category, nor have I been able to narrow down the possibilities while making a cursory browse through my numerous field guides. Like my mother used to say, "Better safe than sorry."