This is one of the most common bird’s nest fungi and is among the easiest to identify. Cyathus striatus has a shaggy outer surface and a smooth but vertically lined inner surface, readily distinguishing it from the other bird’s nest fungi. Although frequently found in places like mulch beds, this mushroom’s common name – the “Fluted Bird’s Nest” – is not widely used. More often, people simply call this mushroom by its scientific name.
Note: This is an archived post. The current version of this post is available here. This is a beautiful little waxy cap that displays one of the most striking color changes of all mushrooms. Gliophorus psittacinus is easily identified by its slimy texture and bright green color that becomes yellow as the mushroom matures. Because the color fades, older specimens are easily confused with the many other yellowish waxy caps. For easy identification of this mushroom, you really need to find young specimens that are still green and slimy. As with other waxy caps, the flesh has a texture reminiscent of candle wax. However, to experience this, one would first have to get past the considerable sliminess of the cap and stipe. Because of its initial bright green color (which one might term “parrot green”), G. psittacinus is commonly called the “Parrot Mushroom” or “Parrot Waxcap.” Indeed, the root word...
This bright, attractive fungus is a great example of how confusing mushrooms can be. Byssomerulius incarnatus is distinguished by its bright pink cap and rough undersurface. Although its spore-producing surface is not smooth, it is still considered a crust fungus. To add to the confusion, it is still being shuffled around through a few different genera and it has some kind of relationship with Stereum ostrea (FFF#144) that has yet to be researched.
This mushroom is a common sight on hardwood logs at any time of the year. Its fan shape and circular zones of orange and brown colors make Stereum ostrea look very similar to the true Turkey Tail, Trametes versicolor. ostrea, the “False Turkey Tail,” has a smooth undersurface, which easily distinguishes it from T. versicolor.
Note: This is an archived post. You can find the current version of this post here. Boletinellus merulioides is an odd mushroom, both in appearance and ecology. The Ash Tree Bolete can be readily identified by its pore surface – which is only a few millimeters thick and looks more like a network of ridges – and by the fact that it fruits only under ash trees. merulioides appears under ash because it has a unique symbiotic relationship with a pest of ash trees: the Leafcurl Ash Aphid.
Note: This is an archived post. You can read the current version here. Pluteus cervinus is one of the first gilled mushrooms to appear in the spring, although you can also find it during summer and fall. Commonly called the “Deer Mushroom,” it is distinguished by its free gills, pinkish spore print, radish-like odor, and unique, pointed cystidia (if you have a microscope). In Europe, the mushroom is called the “Deer Shield” (I think mushrooms in the genus Pluteus are called “shields” in Europe, though I’m not sure why) or the “Fawn Pluteus.” I was introduced to this mushroom as the “Fawn Mushroom,” which is not as common as “Deer Mushroom” in the United States.
Note: This is an archived post. You can read the current version of this post here. Black morels can be distinguished from yellow morels by their dark ridges and light pits. Other morels have light ridges with darker (or only slightly darker) pits. Morchella angusticeps is the most widespread black morel in North America. It can be found almost anywhere east of the Rocky Mountains, although it is not as common as yellow morels.
This medium-sized to large cup fungus is distinguished by the prominent vein-like wrinkles on its upper surface. Although it resembles any number of other brown cup fungi, it belongs to the family Morchellaceae and is actually a close relative of true morels! This similarity is borne out through microscopic examination, which may be required for accurate identification. Disciotis venosa is commonly known as the “Bleach Cup,” since it gives off a bleach-like odor when broken, and as the “Veined Cup Fungus,” thanks to its veined upper surface.
This is one of the most common false morels. Anyone hunting morels should be familiar with false morels, since they appear at the same time and are potentially deadly. Gyromitra esculenta can be distinguished from other false morels by its brain-like texture, reddish-brown color, and relatively thin stem. Most people just call esculenta a “false morel,” but it has some other common names, including: “Brain Mushroom,” “Beefsteak Morel,” “Lorchel,” and “Turban Fungus” (the last name is used in Europe).
These medium-sized cup fungi are bright red, making them easy to spot against the brown colors of the forest floor. Sarcoscypha dudleyi, austriaca, and S. coccinea are all found in the spring during morel season, so make sure to check for morels when you find a Scarlet Cup! These three species are indistinguishable from one another to the naked eye. In order to definitively identify your mushroom, you will have to use a microscope.
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