Fungus Identifier
Mushrooms
Mushrooms in the wild are fascinating organisms that play a crucial role in our ecosystem. They in various shapes, sizes, and colors often found in forests, meadows, and even urban areas. Wild mushrooms can be a source of food, medicine, and even art, but it's essential to know which ones are safe to consume as some can be toxic. Exploring the world of wild mushrooms can be an exciting adventure for nature enthusiasts and foragers alike.
Amanita
Mascara
Family: Amanitaceae
Commonly found in: boreal and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
Dimensions: The colorful cap is usually between 8-20 cm for diameter, while the stems are 10-25 cm long.
Description: It's an extremely poisonous mushroom which has psychoactive alkaloids, such as muscarine, and ibotenic acid.
The fruiting body of Amanita Mascara is a red cap with white speckles on the cap of the mushroom. The stem of the mushroom tends to be a brownish white color.
Russula
Emetica
Family: Russulaceae
Commonly found in: primarily pine forests in the Northern Hemisphere.
Dimensions: Between 3-10 cm for cap diameter, and 4-9 cm for stem length.
Description: Russula Emetica is known for being found in the heathland of pine and other rich coniferous trees.
The fruiting body of Emetica is bright red and has a glimmer to it. It can be very slimy and wet. The stem of the mushrooms is a stark white.
Cantharellus
Cibarius
Family: Cantharellaceae
Commonly found in: deciduous and coniferous forests, Grows in Europe from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean and also in parts of the western United States.
Dimensions: Usually between 1-4” in wide, but can be around 2-4" tall.
Description: Cantherallus Cibarius is a common mushroom in densely wooded areas. This organism germinates almost all year long.
The fruiting body of Cibarius varies from yellow to dark yellow with occasionally red caps on the top.
Sarcodon
Imbricatus
​Family: Bankeraceae
Commonly found in: Coniferous forests across North America, generally growing with Spruce and Fir trees.
Dimensions: The cap of this mushroom can reach up to 30" in width, while the mushroom is up to 4" high.
Description: Sarcodon Imbricatus, also known as the Scaly Hedgehog mushroom, is edible, but has a very bitter taste.
The fruiting body of Sarcodon Imbricatus is a dark brown color with many whiteish brown pores on the top of the cap of the mushroom.
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Agaricus
Julius
Family: Agaricaceae
Commonly found in: High-elevation spruce-fir forests of Colorado, particularly around 9,000 feet of elevation.
Dimensions: The stem can be 8-17 cm long, while the cap can be between 2-3 cm wide.
Description: Agaricus Julius, also known as the Emperor mushroom, is a brown capped mushroom with a white stem. This mushroom is currently being proposed to be the state mushroom of Colorado.
The fruiting body of Agaricus Julius is brown with white pores.
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Marcella
Elata
Family: Morchellaceae
Commonly found in: Deciduous forests, under oak, hickory, and white ash trees. They can also be found along the edges of wooded areas and in recently burned forests.
Dimensions: It can be between 0.5-2in tall, while 0.5-1.5in wide. The length of the stalk can vary from 2-4 inches tall.
Description: The Black Morel mushroom is a sought-after edible mushroom with a honeycomb like cap, and a hollow stem. They are prominent in French Cuisine and are able to be found in all 50 states.
Cortinarius
Camphoratus
​Family: Cortinariaceae
Commonly found in: Coniferous forests across North America and Europe. This mushroom is commonly found next to spruce trees as this mushroom grows in tandem with the roots of a spruce tree.
Dimensions: The cap can be 4-10cm in diameter, the stem is 5-10cm tall and 1-2cm thick.
Description: Cortinarius Camphorates, also known as the goatcheese webcap, has a pale blue/lilac cap and has a distinct odor.
Amanita
Pantheria
Family: Amanitaceae​
Commonly found in: North America, Europe, and West Asia. Found in primarily coniferous forests and near pine trees specifically.
Dimensions: The cap is 5-12cm in diameter, and the stem is 8-12cm tall and 1-1.5cm in diameter.
Description: Amanita Pantherina, known as the Panther cap, is a shiny brown-capped mushroom with white spores. The spores can be removed from the cap as they have no vital purpose for the mushroom.
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