Phyllotopsis nidulans

This is a key to gilled mushrooms, that is, mushrooms having a definite cap with a fertile surface consisting of gills. The fruiting body usually also has a stem, although that may be lateral or absent (usually, then, the mushroom is growing from wood). You can use this key to identify mushrooms that you find.

Fruiting body containing fibers (usually in the stalk)

Spore print "light-colored": white or buff, sometimes tinged with pink or tan. Greenish and (except for the Russulales) yellow spore prints also go here
Stalk fibrous, not fracturing like a piece of chalk

None of the special features distinguishing the other white-spored genera:
Gills not free, as in the Lepiotas and Amanitas
Basidia not extra-long, as in the Hygrophoraceae
Spores smooth, except for Lentinellus

Growing on trees or dead wood, leaves, or sticks, or organic debris, often in moss

Shaped like a “normal mushroom”
Small and fragile to medium-sized, except for one large, grey-capped species

All or almost all of the fruiting body bright yellow to orange yellow
Often powdery, finely scaly, or furry
In one case, pictured here, just the gills are yellow

Cap sessile, yellow, with dense white fur
Gills orange when fresh
Spores pinkish
Smell often rank

Phyllotopsis nidulans     (Fries) Singer

Here are the characters that distinguish this species from the others in its group. For its more general characters, see higher up on the page.
If there's just a few words or a microscopic feature here, a more thorough description can be found above.

Diagnosis

• It actually tastes as bad as it smells, and this characteristic may hold even when it isn't very smelly
  
• Usually on deciduous wood

• Spores 6-8 x 3-4 µm, sausage-shaped

Comments

This is the only species in its genus in the northern temperate zone, but it is a fairly common one


 

 

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