The Illinois Mycological Association is a group of fungal enthusiasts that meets frequently to learn about fungi through talks presented by experts, and to look for, identify and document wild fungi. We host monthly meetings with invited speakers, mycologist-led surveys to gather and document fungi, and an annual show at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
We welcome you to attend and learn more about fungi and the wild mushrooms of Illinois and the Chicago region.
June Mushroom of the Month: Sarcoscypha occidentalis A.K.A. Stalked Scarlet Cup
These little beauties can be found growing on partially buried hardwood sticks and logs and start popping up in Illinois in Springtime. Like many other fungi, Sarcoscypha occidentalis are important to the forest ecosystem because they help break down the hearty cellulose and lignin in wood and leaf litter. They rarely grow to be over 2 cm in diameter and are often overlooked, and at first glance commonly mistaken for Scutellinia.
Photo and text by IMA President Liz Weinstein
Join your local mushroom club
Video by the Illinois Mycological Association.
Speakers: Patrick Leacock, Tom Volk, and Britt Bunyard.
Video created by James Strzelinski, Spiel.
Members of the Illinois Mycological Association post their mushroom photos to iNaturalist to record fungal diversity for the Chicago Region. Mycologist Patrick Leacock reviews a selection of recent observations organized by his Top Ten Lists of most common macro-fungi.
