I don’t name ’em…I just photograph them. 🙂
A friend on Facebook posted some huge Amanitas which I then went looking for on Saturday. I did find them but as I have done a few times, I am only mentioning them for the moment. They will follow. But I always enjoy finding Mycenas and who could resist such a delightfully named species.
Bleeding Fairy Helmets-aka Burgundy Drops-aka Bleeding Mycena-Mycena haematopus
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
Actually, I’ll take Burgundy Drops as my common name of choice: partly because the vision of a fairy helmet, bleeding or not, seems just too odd.
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Wearing a helmet doesn’t seem fairylike, but sheltering under one of these in the rain is a nice visual. Burgundy drops is a more pleasing name but I think as a title this is a better attention getter.
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All I could think was “if it bleeds, it leads.” If it hadn’t been your post, I might not have looked. I’m weary of warfare and bleeding — pro football, too, for all that.
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Blushing would be better and then the less comfortable association would be removed and there are species with that as part of their name. I share your dislike for the world’s violence…although we do enjoy football.
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Wikipedia says of the genus Mycena that “over 33 species are known to be bioluminescent, creating a glow known as foxfire. These species are divided among 16 lineages, leading to evolutionary uncertainty in whether the luminescence developed once and was lost among many species, or evolved in parallel by several species. One advantage of bioluminescence may lie in its potential to attract insects that can disperse the mushroom’s spores.”
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If I were more of a night owl I’d go out looking for the phenomenon but have to settle for knowing about it.
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The name is very evocative, Steve, and I find it easy to envision little fairies taking cover under the mushrooms during a rainfall. Actually, maybe we should rename them into fairy umbrellas.
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Fairy umbrellas is a more attractive name. I am often amazed at some of the names people come up with for both the common and Latin.
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I agree.
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I saw a whole line of yellow amanitas across one of our trails with one popping up every foot or so for at least 20.’ I assume they are from a long tree root. Quite the show, but they are being eaten fast.
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There were at least 30 in this location but were so spread out that my hope for a group photo was dashed when I found them. Several were almost a foot tall which is pretty large for a mushroom. I don’t know who eats them but I sure do hope it it’s not a misinformed mushroom hunter.
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Slugs mostly… 😉
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Slugs must have cast iron stomachs. 🙂
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I’d greatly prefer “blushing” to “bleeding,” but then, I wasn’t there for the naming. Oh, well.
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Going with Tanja’s suggestion, Blushing Fairy Umbrellas would seem fitting. Although parasol mushrooms are a different species, I think that works too.
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Mycenas are always lovely to discover. They do hold a kind if fantasy magic for me. I particularly like the reddish flush to the caps of your species., Steve.
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I’ve found a few lovely Mycenas over the years.They seem so delicate and attractives shaped. Thanks, Pete.
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That IS a funny name but your photo isn’t funny – it’s beautiful. You have done those subtle colors justice!
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Thanks, Lynn. Some names make one wonder where that came from.
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