Red As A Lobster

Day 20: Here in the Pacific Northwest, Lobster fungus tends to emerge concurrently or a little bit before Chanterelles and the people who hunt them, and this year, all three are running a little late. That's not to say I have never hunted Chanterelles into November or had to wear all my woollies to keep Jack Frost from nipping my fingers and my nose, but it is not the usual habit of the fungus. Lobsters got a slightly earlier start, showing up during the first part of October, although they weren't exactly thick on the ground. That said, Hypomyces lactifluorum is not a species I take to the table because it isn't picky about which Russula it parasitizes. Oh, didn't I mention that? Hypomyces as a genus grow on other fungi, each individual species having its own personal preferences as to host. While considered edible, some of the Russulas on which it might grow are suspect; my handy-dandy field guide says, "...we are not aware of any serious poisonings caused by them." I would like to emphasize the word "serious" in that statement. Some collectors say they have a fishy taste, again enough to put me off the idea of sitting down to a Lobster dinner. If I'm going to eat lobster, I want it to have a carapace and claws.