Olive oysterling

When Flora's lovelier tribes give place,
The Mushroom's scorn'd but curious race
Bestud the moist autumnal earth;
A quick but perishable birth,
Inlaid with many a brilliant dye
Of Nature's high-wrought tapestry.
(Richard Mant 1776 - 1848)

I intended to photograph this fungus in situ on the 'moist autumnal' mossy log beside the river where I found them but rain and poor light stopped play. I picked them anyway and have tried here to display to best advantage the unusual mustard yellow/olive green colour that first caught my eye. I have identified it as Panellus serotinus a relative of the better known oyster mushroom. The species, which is new to me, is known as Olive Oysterling, a name which has a curiously old-fashioned ring as, for instance, in: "Third prize goes to Miss Olive Oysterling for her delightful rendition of Brahms' Nocturne in C minor" or "We are indebted to Lady Olive Oysterling for the generous gift of this marble drinking fountain." But I digress.

These fungi are saprophytic which means they take their nourishment from dead wood. The caps have a slightly gelatinous consistency which allows them to flourish in a cool damp winter climate. They are edible, most authorities agree, but not of the highest quality - well, that remains to be seen. I intend to sample them in a risotto.