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PODCAST

Lichen The Vibe

District Podcasts

Lichen the Vibe is the mycology podcast that makes fungi fun and fascinating. We dive into mushrooms, lichens, and mycelium—covering mushroom identification, safe foraging, home cultivation, fungal ecology, ethnomycology, and lichen symbioses. From psychedelic and medicinal mushrooms to gourmet edibles and decomposer heroes, get expert insights, captivating stories, and chill vibes for beginners and seasoned mycophiles. Your go-to mushroom podcast for science, culture, and wonder. Subscribe and

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All Episodes

00:05:06

Spore Sized: Why This Tiny Polypore Has a Fringed Edge

Lichen The Vibe ·

2026/10/06

Most people would overlook Polyporus ciliatus, but its delicately hairy cap margin and fine pores make it one of the more distinctive small polypores of temperate forests.Dive deeper on the blog: https://lichenthevibe.com/fringed-polypore-polyporus-ciliatus/In this episode, two hosts explore the Fringed Polypore’s morphology, including its small brown to yellowish-brown cap, ciliate margin, pores typically measuring 5–7 per millimeter, slender stem, and tough fruitbodies. The discussion then

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00:43:01

Meet the Fringed Polypore: A Small Mushroom With a...

Lichen The Vibe ·

2026/10/06

Polyporus ciliatus, the Fringed Polypore, is a small temperate wood-rotting fungus easily overlooked in the forest. Its minute hairs along the cap margin, combined with its fine, dense pores, help distinguish it from similar species such as the Winter Polypore.Dive deeper on the blog: https://lichenthevibe.com/fringed-polypore-polyporus-ciliatus/In this episode, two hosts examine its brown to yellowish-brown cap, ciliate margin, pores typically measuring around 5–7 per millimeter, slender stem, and

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00:05:34

Spore Sized: How This Winter Polypore Attacks Dead Wood

Lichen The Vibe ·

2026/10/01

The Winter Polypore (Polyporus brumalis) is a cold-season wood decomposer with an unusually sophisticated oxidative enzyme system. Growing primarily on dead hardwoods such as birch, it produces persistent, leathery fruitbodies that can survive through winter.Dive deeper on the blog: https://lichenthevibe.com/polyporus-brumalis-winter-polypore/Two hosts examine the species' expanded arsenal of lignin-degrading peroxidases, including manganese and versatile peroxidases, along with oxidoreductases

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00:50:35

Polyporus brumalis: The Winter Fungus Built for...

Lichen The Vibe ·

2026/10/01

While many familiar polypores appear primarily during the warmer months, Polyporus brumalis, now often treated within Lentinus, is adapted to the cold season. Its persistent, leathery fruitbodies can remain on dead hardwood for long periods, with fresh growth particularly associated with late autumn through spring.Dive deeper on the blog: https://lichenthevibe.com/polyporus-brumalis-winter-polypore/In this episode, two hosts take a focused look at the Winter Polypore, examining its small circular

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00:06:17

Spore Sized: A Ghostly White Mushroom Growing on...

Lichen The Vibe ·

2026/09/29

The Ghost Shield (Pluteus pellitus) is an uncommon European wood-decaying mushroom with an unusually pale appearance. Its white to creamy cap, white stem and pinking free gills create a striking contrast with the dark hardwood on which it grows.Dive deeper on the blog: https://lichenthevibe.com/pluteus-pellitus-ghost-shield/This short deep dive focuses on the characters that make the species scientifically interesting: its metuloid pleurocystidia with apical hooks, clamp connections in the

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00:38:35

Meet the Ghost Shield: A Rare Mushroom Hidden in...

Lichen The Vibe ·

2026/09/29

Most deer mushrooms in the genus Pluteus are associated with brown or gray caps, but Pluteus pellitus, commonly known as the Ghost Shield, takes a strikingly different form. Its pale white to creamy fruitbodies can stand out dramatically against dark, decomposing hardwood, yet this uncommon European species is far more subtle than its appearance suggests.Dive deeper on the blog: https://lichenthevibe.com/pluteus-pellitus-ghost-shield/In this episode, two hosts take a close look at Pluteus pellitus,

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00:05:48

Spore Sized: The Deer Shield Mushroom’s Secret Identity

Lichen The Vibe ·

2026/09/24

The familiar deer mushroom growing on rotting logs is actually at the center of a cryptic species complex revealed through DNA studies, and true Pluteus cervinus is distinguished by its free pink-spored gills, radish-like odor and characteristic horned cystidia.Dive deeper on the blog: https://lichenthevibe.com/pluteus-cervinus-deer-shield-mushroom/Two hosts take a focused look at its morphology, from the brown convex cap and pale, fibrillose stem to the free gills that become pink as spores mature

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00:54:34

Free Pink Gills, Radish Smell, Horned Cystidia — Meet...

Lichen The Vibe ·

2026/09/24

The familiar deer mushroom found growing on rotting hardwood may look like a straightforward species, but DNA research revealed something much more complicated: the traditional concept of Pluteus cervinus actually contains multiple closely related, cryptic species. True P. cervinus is best distinguished through a combination of morphology, ecology and microscopic characters—including its free pink-spored gills, radish-like odor and distinctive horned cystidia.Dive deeper on the blog:

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00:05:00

Spore Sized: The Phoenix Oyster’s Hidden Chemistry...

Lichen The Vibe ·

2026/09/22

This pale oyster mushroom thrives in warmer conditions while producing lovastatin analogs, ergothioneine and bioactive polysaccharides — and its enzyme secretome changes with the substrate it encounters.Dive deeper on the blog: https://lichenthevibe.com/pleurotus-pulmonarius-phoenix-oyster/This short deep dive focuses tightly on Pleurotus pulmonarius, the Phoenix or Indian Oyster, beginning with the morphological traits that distinguish it from P. ostreatus: pale, often elongated caps, decurrent

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00:56:35

Pleurotus pulmonarius: The Oyster Mushroom Built for...

Lichen The Vibe ·

2026/09/22

The classic oyster mushroom prefers familiar temperate conditions, but its close relative Pleurotus pulmonarius is built for warmer environments — and its biology goes well beyond simply tolerating heat.Dive deeper on the blog: https://lichenthevibe.com/pleurotus-pulmonarius-phoenix-oyster/Known as the Phoenix Oyster, Indian Oyster or Lung Oyster, P. pulmonarius produces pale, often elongated caps in clustered fruitbodies that resemble P. ostreatus, while its greater heat tolerance makes it

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00:05:27

Spore Sized: The Oyster Mushroom’s Hidden Life as a...

Lichen The Vibe ·

2026/09/17

The everyday oyster mushroom has a second lifestyle that most people never see: it can chemically attack and immobilize microscopic nematodes. Pleurotus ostreatus combines wood decomposition with a sophisticated form of fungal predation.Dive deeper on the blog: https://lichenthevibe.com/pleurotus-ostreatus-carnivorous-ecology/This short deep dive focuses on the species' nematophagous strategy, beginning with its specialized toxocysts. These structures produce the volatile ketone 3-octanone,

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00:36:13

The Oyster Mushroom That Hunts and Kills Microscopic...

Lichen The Vibe ·

2026/09/17

The oyster mushroom is one of the most familiar fungi on Earth — but behind its reputation as a cultivated food is a surprisingly sophisticated predator. Pleurotus ostreatus can decompose hardwood, capture microscopic nematodes and produce a remarkable collection of biologically active compounds.Dive deeper on the blog: https://lichenthevibe.com/pleurotus-ostreatus-carnivorous-ecology/This species-focused episode begins with its classic appearance: shell- or oyster-shaped caps ranging from gray and

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00:05:45

Spore Sized: Inside the Golden Oyster’s Most Unusual...

Lichen The Vibe ·

2026/09/15

What makes the Golden Oyster Mushroom chemically unusual? Pleurotus citrinopileatus combines its unmistakable golden-yellow appearance with high levels of ergothioneine, diverse polysaccharides and an increasingly interesting collection of specialized fungal metabolites.Dive deeper on the blog: https://lichenthevibe.com/pleurotus-citrinopileatus-the-vibrant-golden-oyster-mushroom/This short deep dive examines the species from a mycological and chemical perspective, beginning with its dense clusters

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00:44:01

Pleurotus citrinopileatus: The Chemistry of the...

Lichen The Vibe ·

2026/09/15

The Golden Oyster Mushroom is famous for its brilliant yellow clusters, but its chemistry may be even more interesting than its appearance. Pleurotus citrinopileatus is an edible, widely cultivated oyster mushroom notable for its high ergothioneine content, diverse polysaccharides and an expanding catalogue of specialized metabolites.Dive Deeper on the blog: https://lichenthevibe.com/pleurotus-citrinopileatus-the-vibrant-golden-oyster-mushroom/This episode focuses exclusively on the species,

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00:05:36

Spore Sized: Inside the Chemistry of the Bleeding...

Lichen The Vibe ·

2026/09/10

What looks like a fragile little woodland mushroom is actually a remarkably interesting chemical system. Mycena haematopus, commonly known as the Bleeding Mycena or Bleeding Fairy Helmet, combines a distinctive red-purple exudate with an unusual collection of fungal natural products.This episode takes a species-specific look at its morphology, ecology, pigments and secondary metabolites, while separating established scientific findings from broader claims about fungi.The fruitbodies typically

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00:52:03

Mycena haematopus: The Bleeding Mushroom Explained

Lichen The Vibe ·

2026/09/10

A tiny woodland mushroom can produce a dark red to purplish liquid when its stem is damaged — and the chemistry behind that “bleeding” is far more unusual than its delicate appearance suggests.This episode takes a focused look at Mycena haematopus, the Bleeding Mycena, examining only this species and the scientific evidence surrounding its appearance, ecology and unusual natural products.Two hosts explore its recognizable morphology: a reddish-brown to wine-colored bell-shaped cap, pale gills that

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00:06:55

Spore Sized: Why Does This Polypore Look Like a Trumpet?

Lichen The Vibe ·

2026/09/08

Why does a polypore sometimes look nothing like the classic bracket fungus? In this focused episode, we explore Picipes tubaeformis, the Trumpet Polypore, a relatively uncommon wood-rotting fungus recognized by its slender funnel-shaped fruitbody, dark stem, and exceptionally small pores.Blog post:https://lichenthevibe.com/picipes-tubaeformis-trumpet-polypore/Two hosts take a close look at the species' morphology, from the trumpet-like cap to the pores that extend downward along the stem. These

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00:32:15

Rare, Slender, and Almost Delicate — The Trumpet...

Lichen The Vibe ·

2026/09/08

Picipes tubaeformis, commonly called the Trumpet Polypore, breaks one of the most familiar images of a polypore: instead of forming a thick shelf or bracket, this uncommon fungus produces a slender, trumpet- or funnel-shaped fruitbody with a dark stem and remarkably fine pores that run down the stem. It favors dead hardwood and remains relatively scarce across much of its European and temperate range.Blog post: https://lichenthevibe.com/picipes-tubaeformis-trumpet-polypore/⁠This short deep-dive

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00:08:10

Spore Sized: Why Does Phyllotopsis nidulans Smell So...

Lichen The Vibe ·

2026/09/03

Phyllotopsis nidulans is a striking wood-decaying mushroom that can be surprisingly unpleasant to smell. Its bright orange-to-yellow fruiting bodies may look inviting, but the odor has earned this species a reputation for being one of the less pleasant-smelling fungi encountered in forests.In this episode of Spore Sized, we explore what may be happening biologically when P. nidulans produces its distinctive odor. Mushroom smells are created by volatile chemical compounds released from fungal

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00:35:19

Orange, Fuzzy, and Foul-Smelling: Meet Phyllotopsis...

Lichen The Vibe ·

2026/09/03

One of the Northern Hemisphere’s most recognizable wood-inhabiting mushrooms looks vaguely like an oyster mushroom—but its powerful skunk-cabbage or rotten-egg odor quickly gives it away. Phyllotopsis nidulans also produces unusual carotenoid pigments and a rare furan-containing amino acid found in very few organisms.Two hosts explore this species exclusively, beginning with its distinctive appearance: fuzzy, fan-shaped to shell-like caps ranging from light orange to apricot, crowded orange gills,

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447 results

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