Toadstool

Fall is mushroom time. They sprout up all over the place: in our lawn, on decaying trees, among the grape vines and, mostly, in the woods. I see many different varieties on our walks, some are even edible, although I would never gather my own mushrooms. I'll leave that to the experts. This one is a shaggy ink cap. It sprouted, among others, in the place where I normally see them every fall.

A shaggy ink cap before it opens fully. Supposedly, they're edible in their early stages.

I've never seen a toad sitting on a mushroom. Wikipedia says that the term "toadstool" derives from German fairy tales telling of toads sitting on mushrooms to catch the flies that are attracted to them. In French, mushrooms are called champignons, originally from the Latin campania, "product of the country." No toads. Wikipedia also says that our word "mushroom" probably comes from the French mousseron, having to do with moss.