Pezizaceae vesiculosa Cup fungus is a common decomposer fungus that is not often confused with others due to its attractive, cup-shaped apothecia. The small to large fruiting bodies are light to tan in color and grow in clusters. They can be found in lawns, on rich soil, compost piles, and burned ground. Their smooth, convex shape and the fact that they often fruit suddenly after rain makes this a fairly easy fungus to spot [1][2]. Peziza vesiculosa is an early successional s

Fomitopsis betulina Birch polypore is a type of bracket fungus that primarily grows on birch trees. These fungi are ecologically significant because they decompose dead wood, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. Birch polypores help break down the tough lignin and cellulose in wood, making it easier for other organisms to access the nutrients locked inside [1]. Birch polypore fruiting bodies are thick, hoof-shaped, and pale brown to white in color. The upper surface i

Micromphale arbuticola Micromphale arbuticola is a tiny saprotrophic fungus known to grow on the bark and fallen branches of madrone (Arbutus menziesii). A native of North America, M. arbuticola colonizes decomposing woody debris and is an important micro-saprotroph. Although extremely small in size and seemingly inconspicuous, M. arbuticola is an interesting fungus in that its entire life cycle is spent on host-related decaying wood. As such, the fungus has developed a highl

Trametes versicolor Turkey tail is one of the most widespread and ecologically significant bracket fungi in the world. It produces thin, fan-shaped fruiting bodies in overlapping tiers on dead hardwood. The undersides are white and porous, made up of thousands of tiny pores which release spores into the air. The upper surface is marked by concentric bands of color in shades of brown, gray, blue, orange, and white, hence its common name [1][2]. In its ecological role as a wood

Leucocoprinus birnbaumii Leucocoprinus birnbaumii (also known as the yellow houseplant mushroom) is a small saprotrophic mushroom with an easily identifiable, bright yellow cap. It has a finely striated and powdery surface, the powder itself pale sulfur yellow. The free gills and stipe are slender and fragile. A short-lived species, the mushroom may appear suddenly and disappear after just a few days [1][2]. The fruit body grows in rich, organic soils such as mulch, compost o

Phellinus chrysoloma Phellinus chrysoloma is a perennial, polypore fungus that grows on hardwoods and conifers in temperate and boreal forests. The fruiting body of P. chrysoloma is thick, woody, and typically golden to yellowish-brown. The surface of the fruiting body darkens and becomes more woody with age. These perennial brackets can last for several years and may add new growth layers each year [1][2]. Ecologically, P. chrysoloma is a specialist wood decomposer that can

Stereum hirsutum Stereum hirsutum is a widely distributed wood decay fungus, which grows on fallen branches, stumps and logs of hardwood trees in temperate regions. It produces thin leathery fruiting bodies that cover the surface of the wood in irregular patches that often overlap and meet each other. Its upper surface is orange-yellow to brown in colour, and often banded and finely hairy, while the underside is pale and smooth, with the pores that are a characteristic of the

Hygrocybe conica Hygrocybe conica (syn. Hygrocybe coccinea) is a species of waxcap mushroom in the family Hygrophoraceae. Commonly known as the witch's hat, H. conica is one of the more dramatic members of the waxcaps, with a conical, glossy cap that ranges in color from pale yellow or orange to dark red, then black as the fruiting body matures. The gills are waxy and brittle. The whole fruiting body has a translucent, translucent quality when fresh. It is one of the easiest

Lycogala epidendrum Wolf's milk slime mold is a beautiful slime mold that is commonly found growing on rotting logs in shady, moist forests. The slime mold, when in its fruiting body form, can be identified by clumps of smaller, round balls that range in color from pink to coral to gray. The bright, paste-like fluid that is seen oozing out of the small balls when they are pressed is actually Lycogala epidendrum in its youth. As the slime mold matures, the moist, vivid fluid d

Gymnopus brassicolens Gymnopus brassicolens is a small saprotrophic species with a translucent-striated cap and strong fetid odor. The caps are honey to amber-brown and often moist-shining, the gills buff to whitish and adnexed. The stipe is slender, pallid toward the apex and often darkening toward the base. Fruitbodies are scattered to gregarious on leaf litter and woody debris under hardwoods and conifers [1][2]. Gymnopus brassicolens grows in decomposing litter and fine w

Amanita roseotincta Amanita roseotincta is a mycorrhizal species with a pale rose-tinted cap, white free gills, and a stipe that terminates in a unique, cup-like volva at its base. The surface of the cap is smooth and subtly tinged with shades of pink or blush, often fading towards the edges. It is one of the more demure yet refined species of the genus Amanita due to its soft coloring and symmetrical shape [1][2]. A. roseotincta is part of a vast underground mycorrhizal netw

Ganoderma applanatum Ganoderma applanatum is a tough perennial bracket fungus on older or dead hardwoods. The fruiting body consists of a broad, shelf-like conk that continues to grow for several years. The upper surface slowly turns darker as new layers form below it [1][4]. The pore surface on the underside of the conk is pure white, and stains brown when touched or scraped; this hypersensitivity to touch is what is behind the common name, as the fungus can be used as a dra

Helvella lacunosa Helvella lacunosa is an edible mushroom of intermediate bodies that grows in many parts of the world. It can often be seen on paths, in forest meadows, on open ground, or in places with trampled or loosened earth, usually near conifers and oaks. It appears on the forest floor, rising from the duff in late summer to fall with a gray to charcoal-black, irregularly saddle-shaped cap and a deeply ribbed and hollow white to grayish stipe [1][2]. This deeply pitte

Gliophorus psittacinus Gliophorus psittacinus is a small, wax-like, brightly coloured mushroom. It has gills and a cap in a vivid, parrot-like colour that changes as the fruitbody matures, going from green to yellow and sometimes orange [1]. The cap is 2–4 cm (0.8–1.6 in) across, and the thin stem is usually yellow-green. The gills are waxy and decurrent (running down the stem) [1][2]. It grows in a wide range of nutrient-poor habitats including unimproved grassland, old chur

Psathyrella longipes Psathyrella longipes is a fragile, saprotrophic species found growing on wood or rich, woody leaf litter in moist forests or wooded glades. It can be recognized by its hygrophanous cap which changes from a dark brown when moist to a pale tan color as it dries. This species has a long and slender stipe that can often be longer than its small cap. This characteristic, and the fact that the stipe often extends above the decaying debris in the understory, is

Xerocomellus zelleri Xerocomellus zelleri is a large and meaty bolete native to western North America, from British Columbia south to California. The cap is broad and convex to nearly flat, and brown to near-black in color, sometimes with a reddish hue at the margin [1]. Its pore surface is golden-yellow, and bruises blue. The stipe is thin, but solid, yellow with red granules or flushes, and it often darkens toward the base [2]. Xerocomellus zelleri forms ectomycorrhizal ass

Russula emetica Russula emetica is a widespread species in the Northern Hemisphere and is particularly noticeable due to its large, scarlet to cherry-red cap, white gills, and crisp, brittle consistency. The cap typically cracks with a snapping sound when broken. R. emetica grows in coniferous and mixed forests in association with mossy soil from late summer to autumn. It is also known by several common names, including The Sickener, The Scarlet Russula, or The Red Ruffle [1]

Postia ptychogaster Postia ptychogaster is a species of mushroom-forming fungus that occurs on conifer stumps and logs on the ground in moist, shaded woodlands. It is often one of the last species to be involved in the wood decay process, and appears on substrates where the decomposition process is already well established. The fruiting body is unusual for a bracket fungus in that it begins as a solid mass of white to buff powder. This anamorphic (asexual) stage is a dense, c

Mycena californiensis Mycena californiensis is a saprotrophic mushroom species with a small, slender, and fragile fruiting body. This species occurs in forested regions of western North America, where it grows and fruits on litter, wood, or conifer needles in moist, shaded areas. The bell-shaped and translucent caps are whitish to pale gray or tan. Fruiting bodies of M. californiensis are ephemeral, most often observed following autumn rain [1][2]. Ecologically, M. californie

Crucibulum laeve Crucibulum laeve is easily one of the most iconic and familiar species of Nidulariaceae. The namesake is derived from Latin, in reference to a small bird's nest (Crucibulum laeve translates to 'smooth little cradle'). The fruiting body is a small cup-shaped structure, with several little "eggs" suspended within. Called peridioles, they are filled with spores and held in place in the cup by thin threads known as funiculi. When the cup is splashed by a raindrop