Forum for mushrooms and lichen ?

I think the world of the mushrooms and lichen is very fascinating! Scientifically they belong neither to the flora nor the fauna. Would there be sufficient interest to start a mushroom and lichen forum ?

I would be very interested.

Judy

This request has been raised before, and our concerns were (and still are) twofold:

- Initially, the idea was dismissed because fungi aren't members of the plant kingdom. We've now ventured into bugs, horses, poultry rocks, and other non-plantae "stuff" so that initial reason may be set aside.

- This topic is highly likely to attract folks who are looking for hallucinogenic (or euphemistically "medicinal") discussions regarding mushrooms and fungi. We don't have the time or resources to closely monitor any forum to safeguard against that.

So before this idea gains momentum, let me ask those of you interested in this forum a few questions:

1) Is there a reason that Garden Talk couldn't be used for your discussions? Has anyone tried starting mushroom/fungi discussions in this forum? If so, were they well-received, or not? If you haven't, why not give it a try?

2) If you can demonstrate that Garden Talk (or another forum) is currently overrun with fungi discussions and a new forum is warranted, are you willing to self-moderate such a forum, and report ANY threads that stray from culinary usage? That would mean as forum participants, you agree to not open the door by joking about illlicit/illegal uses or initiate discussions about species that are known hallucinogens.

3) Are you willing to accept the risk that if we discover the forum is being misused for hallucinogenic discussions, we may close it down without warning, and ban those who were involved in those discussions?

With those caveats in mind, you're welcome to discuss this idea...

I'm so uninformed, the "hallucinogenic discussions" aspect never entered my head. If the forum is open I'll be glad to monitor for such discussions for DG surely isn't the place for such. I opened a thread in the Mid-South Forum asking if anyone in our area "grew their own" seems there were several replies but no one had experience. I've seen a couple of threads about them but don't remember where.

Judy

Thanks Judy for your support.

Terry I understand your concern for the fact that a forum of mushrooms could attract a type of people who are looking for hallucinogenic, although there are also quite some members of the plant kingdom which can be used for similar purposes.

I've wanted to start a threat about mushrooms and lichen, but couldn't find a forum in which this item really fits, that's why I suggested for a new forum.

Terry, I am also willing to help monitoring the forum.

Anyone has a suggestion in what forum a thread about mushroom, lichens and fungi could fit ?
I've gone through all the existing forums but couldn't find an suitable one.

I'd say "Garden Talk" or even "General Discussion" would be good places to initiate discussions about mushrooms and fungi.

I would have posted it under Indigenous plants? I know, not plants, but they do grow natively?

I saw this suggestion come up last year. I think the general mind-set of DGers would allow a thread/forum to remain 'clean'. A prominent 'Sticky' might help, too.
I don't intentionally grow them and only eat the commercially grown kind.
I enjoy taking pics of them, however. I find their various shapes and colors fascinating.
If someone starts a thread, please post a link here. I'll surely visit.
"Garden Talk" is as good a place as any to see if it could work. My 2 cents.
Andy P

This is one of my husband's favorite books (incredible beautiful) and we never take a walk without looking for lichen. How about a forum for "woodlands" similar to "Tropicals"?

Lichens of North America pub by Yale Univ Press # Oct 08, 2001
828 p., 9 1/2 x 11
821 b/w + 927 color illus.
ISBN: 0300082495
ISBN-13: 978-0-300-08249-4
# Cloth: $110.00

* Irwin M. Brodo, Sylvia Duran Sharnoff, and Stephen Sharnoff; with Selected Drawings by Susan Laurie-Bourque; Foreword by Peter Ravenuse

REVIEWS CONTENTS EXCERPTS INDEX

Winner of the R. R. Hawkins Award for the Outstanding Professional Reference or Scholarly Work of 2001; Winner of the New England Book Show, in the category of Reference books, sponsored by the Bookbuilders of Boston; Winner of the 2002 Henry Allan Gleason Award of The New York Botanical Garden; Winner of the 2002 Council on Botanical & Horticultural Libraries Award; Winner of the 2002 National Outdoor Book Award for Nature Guidebooks; Selected as a 2002 outstanding book by University Press Books for Public and Secondary School Libraries


For more information, visit the website at www.lichen.com

Lichens are a unique form of plant life, the product of a symbiotic association between an alga and a fungus. The beauty and importance of lichens have long been overlooked, despite their abundance and diversity in most parts of North America and elsewhere in the world. This stunning book—the first accessible and authoritative guidebook to lichens of the North American continent—fills the gap, presenting superb color photographs, descriptions, distribution maps, and keys for identifying the most common, conspicuous, or ecologically significant species.

The book focuses on 805 foliose, fruticose, and crustose lichens (the latter rarely included in popular guidebooks) and presents information on another 700 species in the keys or notes; special attention is given to species endemic to North America. A comprehensive introduction discusses the biology, structure, uses, and ecological significance of lichens and is illustrated with 90 additional color photos and many line drawings. English names are provided for most species, and the book also includes a glossary that explains technical terms. This visually rich and informative book will open the eyes of nature lovers everywhere to the fascinating world of lichens.

Irwin M. Brodo is emeritus research scientist at the Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario, and is considered a world authority on lichens and their biology. Stephen Sharnoff is and the late Sylvia Duran Sharnoff was research associate at the Missouri Botanical Garden and research affiliate at the University and Jepson Herbaria, University of California, Berkeley. The Sharnoffs are both internationally renowned nature photographers and writers whose work has appeared in, among other places, National Geographic, Smithsonian, Discover, and the New York Times.

Patti

Patti,

Thank you so much for this very interesting link and valuable information!
I think that many of the species of Northern America also occur in other parts of the world.
I've even seen lichens in Norway that look so similar to lichens I've observed in the rain forests of Brazil that I think they must belong to the same family of the Cladonia but I'm not a specialist nor botanist.
I'm only a fascinated admirer of the enchanting beauty of lichens. They usually occur in company of all kinds of mosses,
that opens another world more than worthwhile to explore.

My suggestion is that there could be a forum that focuses on
Mushrooms, fungi, algae, lichens and mosses.

This is a beauty I found on an old graveyard wall

A collection of Brazilian rain forest mosses

and a detail of one of them

Terry and Ruk thanks for your suggestions.


Sarahskeeper,

I hope this link works;

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/672358/

I had started a thread some time ago in the European forum and at first I thought there was no interest as there came no response (that's why I asked for other suggestions), but now things seem to move anyway, so I really don't know if I should also start it in another forum. Would that not be confusing ?
Can I transfer the whole thread to Garden's talk in a way that nobody gets confused and still finds back his responses.

I also own this wonderful Lichen book by Brodo. I love to comb our woods and slopes etc in North East Pennsylvania for Lichen, Mosses, Ferns, Mushrooms and such.
One of my favorite playgrounds:
http://www.kammlott.net/Lichen.html
I just looked at the wonderful posts on the European forum. and all I can say is - I would never have looked there on my own. And I certainly wouldn't think of looking at Garden talk either for threads of this nature.
I really would have liked to see Mosses, Lichen, Mushrooms combined with the Fern Forum, I was disappointed when it wasn't done. Regarding habitats and botanical aspects they simply belong together. If you crawl over the forest floor ( as I do many times) you are likely to meet up with all of them.
Ursula

RUK, I think your combination would be great. " Mosses, Lichen, Mushrooms combined with the Fern Forum". I believe a clearly worded banner that bans discussion of anything DG deems inappropriate seems logical. Have the thread open only to members, thus the threat of removal is real. Therefore, I think item # 3 in Terry's Nov 10th reply is a perfect solution. Picture taken in Oct 2006 in Switzerland, St. Bernard's Pass. Patti

This picture was taken in Oct 2005 in Big Sur, Ca. Patti

Ursula and bbrookrd, I'm happy to meet other lovers of the often overlooked beauties like fungi, lichens and mosses and the like!

That would be a wonderful solution to link mushrooms, fungi, lichens and mosses with the Fern forum, then there would be no need to create another forum. I often look at the fern forum, but there is not so much going on there, so this could be a way to give it a new boost.

bonitin, I am afraid to show my husband your pictures as he will want to hog DG to look any photos you post of lichens and mosses, great shots. We too are observers only, but we now can't stop looking for them anywhere we go as they are so beautiful and often ignored. Patti

Patti,

The more lovers of lichens and the like the better!
Perhaps a second computer could be a sollution for your husband if your afraid of him wanting to hog DG ?

bonitin, Oh, we have 3 but one has the better screen plus a great view of the harbor from a desk and chair and the printer, so it is the one we fight over. I try and do my boring entry work on my portable. His portable which is nicer than mine has been having issues with it's battery, so has been used very little lately. I haven't shown him your pictures yet as he volunteered to do the vacuuming today (which I was planning on doing yesterday) and I definitely didn't want to stop the progress. What a guy! I can't wait until he sees them. Patti

This message was edited Nov 22, 2006 4:56 PM

Bonitin, Thanks for the link. Wallaby has some nice pics, too. I only have a few images.

RUK, adding mushrooms & lichen to the fern forum makes sense to me. I'd add it to my watch list.

I remember many years ago while hiking, I noticed some lichen on a stone outcrop, all pink and purple. My friends thought I was weird because I spent so much time examining it. lol.
Andy P

I'm in agreement with putting these in with the ferns, they do go hand in hand. The Fern forum would perhaps get more use.

Fungi, lichens, mosses are all so interesting and there is really no suitable place at the moment.

As you may have already seen, I am keen enough to take photos when I see fungi, it has been a very good season this year for them. I would love to see other people's pics too.

I took a pic of my moss lawn too!

That's the most luxurious carpet I've ever seen!

I spent time once trying to rid the lawn of this moss, but it worked for a short time only. My efforts have probably made for a more healthy moss, and why not leave it to do it's own thing?

We can be too obsessed with perfection, and perfection is all in the eye of the beholder. This luxurious carpet to some may seem more perfect than a carefully manicured lawn.

If nothing else, perhaps I can persuade those tearing their hair out over moss to admire it for what it is, a beauty in itself.

I have an ever expanding mossy area under the trees in the front lawn. I was concerned at first but grew to like it. I don't have to mow it as often, it's green and very soft under foot.
Andy P

Soft under foot is correct, it is spongy. And if you want to pack bulbs to remain fresh while in the post it is perfect, just pull some out. I have found caterpillars while pulling some out too, it provides shelter for all sorts of little creatures. Those who grow orchids or epiphytes might think it was OK too.

To me this carpet is so much more beautiful than an ordinary well manicured lawn.

I have a very interesting book : 'Moss gardening; including Lichens, Liverworts and other Miniatures' of George Schenk. In there one can find recipes how to grow mosses, the conditions the different types demand and how lucky anyone should consider him/her self if they come by themselves. There are also instructions how to keep your moss lawn free of grass !!

Oh yes that pesky grass just peeks through and makes it all messy! Grass is a greart survivor, I mowed the good 3" of moss down to bare soil with just the occasional root of grass hanging on. The grass regrew and filled the gaps with a little feed to help it. But the soil it grows on is sandy and acid, also poor and leaches quickly, the grass was too much upkeep and the moss loved it. I have a trendy moss lawn without having planted it!
So lucky!

I am so impressed with all of the pictures that have been posted. Mosses, lichens and shrooms are so fascinating! If anyone thinks that these "plants" can't possibly be associated with gardening, here is a link to a moss nursery!

http://www.mossacres.com/default.asp

Fancy that, making a living from it! Maybe I should go into business....I have several types growing in other places, that hair cap moss I have under the oak tree. Another similar one with anchoring tap roots was taking over a flower bed but with a mulch of leaf compost it keeps it off. I think I have all they are offering or similar. A fern type moss grows in some places but is easily scraped off the surface. I will have to start to record them all!

This green stuff is on an old hawthorn hedge which looks to be dying, on the bordering of my road. Some looks to be growing on the bottoms of the leyllandii hedge opposite, I hope it doens't kill it! Some blurred but you get the pic

And they're in the Watchdog, in case anyone has ordered from them: http://davesgarden.com/gwd/c/2113/

Wallaby 1 Your 'green stuff' could be (according to one of my books) 'Lepraria incana'. These don't do any harm to their host trees .

Yes bonitin, it does look like that, thanks! At least I know it won't kill my trees now.....there's a few lichens on this site.

http://www.hainaultforest.co.uk/3lichenphotos.htm


This site may be useful to you

http://www.lichenology.info/cgi-bin/baseportal.pl?htx=atlas

I expanded the Ferns forum to encompass Fungi & Mosses as well: http://davesgarden.com/forums/f/fronds/

Great! Will the threads be moved too?

We have a good one going on the European forum.

If you can send me link(s) to thread(s) that should be moved, I'd be happy to do so ;o) You can post them here (probably the easiest thing to do), or send them to us through the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of each page of DG.

OK,

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/672358/

Thanks, Terry.