Omphalina Umbellifera, A Lichen

Day 184: Despite its appearance, Omphalina umbellifera is technically not a mushroom. It is a lichen, one of only three lichen genera in the US known to have a basidiomycete as the fungal partner (as opposed to an ascomycete). What this means in layman's terms is that these lichens reproduce via different types of cells (asci versus basidia). It also means that poor little Omphalina is often disregarded by lichenologists when in fact it probably deserves closer study than many of its ascomycete cousins. Look for Omphalina on well-decayed ends of downed trees and have a little fun with your hiking friends when you explain that it's not a mushroom.

Generally Overlooked

Day 132: "Generally overlooked by lichenologists," says Dr. Brodo, and I am guilty as charged. After seeing a friend's photo of Omphalina umbellifera yesterday, I spent a sleepless night trying to recall where I might have observed the species, only to shrug it off as a mushroom. My mind's eye kept alighting on one particular stump along the Bud Blancher Trail, and indeed that was where I discovered this specimen of the lichen.

Yes, that's right...lichen. Omphalina is unusual in that it is one of only three North American lichen genera to have a basidiomycete as its mycobiont (fungal partner). In plainer terms, that means its reproductive process is carried out in a different type of cell than most other lichens. Omphalina's umbrella is only part of the lichen. The thallus (body) is the granular pea-green crust covering the wood. Those granules are tiny fungal envelopes filled with cells of green algae. It's no wonder Omphalina is "generally overlooked" and dismissed as "just a mushroom," not worth a lichenologist's notice!