A couple of weeks ago I found several (I counted 7) Gyromitra esculenta growing through the weeds and moss (R. loreus) near the burn pile. None were growing in the ash, although one was just out of the ash zone with alot of Funaria hygrometrica. The largest was just over 5 inches tall, the smallest at this point was around 2 inches. The fungi still look pretty fresh today.
To confirm identification I relied on the wrinkled, folded nature of the cap, detachment of the cap from the stem, the relatively slender stem and the presence of 2 oil droplets in the spores.
This fungus is typically listed as a saprophyte, but may also be mycorrhizal. I froze three of the sporocarps for DNA extraction. I'm hoping to build up a reference library to help identify the fungi we isolate from soil. Despite the species name, don't eat this one, it has been reported to cause fatalities.
Two good resourses online are: Tom Volks and Mushroom Expert's
Another fungus fruiting in the garden is Agrocybe praecox
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