All this rain we have had is good for cultivating mushrooms. Identifying the specimens that pop up is another matter entirely. These were just about 18 inches apart but bore no similarity. Here is what I learned from a webpage titled "What is This Thing in My Yard?" by Michael Kuo:
just about any mushroom could conceivably pop up in your yard, especially if your yard or garden is near a stand of trees or a forest. Many people do not know that mushroom identification is extremely difficult--not at all like identifying, say, trees. There are about 200 (natural) species of trees in North America, and a good field guide can usually help you figure out what tree you're looking at. In contrast, no one knows how many mushroom species there are (estimates range as high as 30,000 for North America); scientists do not even agree on what constitutes a "species" of mushroom or on how they can be identified; and most of the species that have been named so far require microscopic analysis for positive identification.
So don't worry too much about giving a name to your visitor. Just enjoy the novelty of its appearance.
