When and Where Do I Find Mushrooms? ----------------------------------- This is also a very difficult and complex question! Technically, a mushroom is merely the **fruiting body** of a fungus. The main growing portion of the fungus, is composed of thread-like ~hyphae~ which form spreading masses known as ~mycelium~. This fungal aspect of the mushroom determines its fruiting behavior and ecological nich. Different fungi grow on different ~substrates~, and fruit under different circumstances. Depending upon the species of mushroom, the season, weather, quality of the substrate (for ground-dwelling species, soil conditions, etc.-- for log-rotters, the age of the host log -- for mycorrhizal species, the health of the host tree, and so forth),as well as numerous other factors, a single species of mushroom, numerous one year, may be nearly impossible to find the next. Learning the habits and habitat of mushrooms is a challenging endeavor, the reward for which being that one learns to predict when and where mushrooms ~should~ fruit, and check those places first. Experienced mushroom hunters have their own favorite patches, which they watch reqularly, and in some cases, even tend to occasionally. If you're lucky, you can get one to take you to such a place, but you'll have to be **very** lucky, as the very ~best~ patches are often closely held secrets. -=- Prepared by Brian McNett, Editor of MycoInfo .