United States

Department of 

Agriculture

Forest Service

Northern 

Research Station

General Technical

Report NRS-79

Field Guide to 

Common Macrofungi 

in Eastern Forests 

and Their Ecosystem 

Functions 

Michael E. Ostry

Neil A. Anderson

Joseph G. O’Brien
Visit our homepage at: http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/

Published by: For additional copies:

U.S. FOREST SERVICE U.S. Forest Service 

11 CAMPUS BLVD SUITE 200 Publications Distribution

NEWTOWN SQUARE PA 19073 359 Main Road

 Delaware, OH 43015-8640

April 2011 Fax: (740)368-0152

Manuscript received for publication 23 April 2010

Cover Photos

Front: Morel, Morchella esculenta. Photo by Neil A. Anderson, University 

of Minnesota. Back: Bear’s Head Tooth, Hericium coralloides. Photo by 

Michael E. Ostry, U.S. Forest Service.

The Authors

MICHAEL E. OSTRY, research plant pathologist, U.S. Forest Service, 

Northern Research Station, St. Paul, MN

NEIL A. ANDERSON, professor emeritus, University of Minnesota, 

Department of Plant Pathology, St. Paul, MN

JOSEPH G. O’BRIEN, plant pathologist, U.S. Forest Service, Forest 

Health Protection, St. Paul, MN
CONTENTS

Introduction: About this Guide 1

 Mushroom Basics 2

Aspen-Birch Ecosystem

 Mycorrhizal

 On the ground associated with tree roots

 Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria 8

 Destroying Angel Amanita virosa, A. verna, 

 A. bisporigera 9

 The Omnipresent Laccaria Laccaria bicolor 10

 Aspen Bolete Leccinum aurantiacum, 

 L. insigne 11

 Birch Bolete Leccinum scabrum 12

 Saprophytic Litter and Wood Decay

 On wood

 Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus populinus 

 (P. ostreatus) 13

 Artist’s Conk Ganoderma applanatum

 (Fomes applanatus) 14

 False Tinder Conk Phellinus tremulae 

 (Fomes ignarius) 15

 True Tinder Conk Fomes fomentarius 17

 Birch Polypore Piptoporus betulinus

 (Polyporus betulinus) 18

 Multicolor Gill Polypore Lenzites betulina 19

 On the ground

 Morel (Sponge Mushroom) Morchella esculenta 20

 Pathogenic

 On ground associated with tree roots or on wood

 Honey Mushroom Armillaria gallica 21

Northern Hardwood Ecosystem

 Mycorrhizal

 On the ground associated with tree roots

 Giant Puffball Calvatia gigantea 24

 Saprophytic Litter and Wood Decay

 On wood

 Bear’s Head Tooth Hericium coralloides 26
 Scaly Pholiota Pholiota squarrosa 27

 Milk-White Toothed Polypore Irpex lacteus

 (Polyporus tulipiferae) 28

 Violet Polypore Trichaptum biforme

 (Hirschioporus pargamenus,

 Polyporus pargamenus) 29

 Smoky Polypore Bjerkandera adusta 

 (Polyporus adustus) 31

 Common Split Gill Schizophyllum commune 33

 Hen of the Woods Grifola frondosa

 (Polyporus frondosus) 34

 Maze Bracket Daedalea quercina 35

 Annual Shelf Fungus Phellinus gilvus

 (Polyporus gilvus) 36

 Hoof Conk Phellinus everhartii 

 (Fomes everhartii) 37

 Diamond Polypore Polyporus alveolaris 

 (Favolus alveolaris) 38

 Dryad’s Saddle Polyporus squamosus 39

 Cinnabar-Red Polypore Pycnoporus cinnabarinus

 (Polyporus cinnabarinus) 41

 Turkey Tail Trametes versicolor

 (Coriolus versicolor, 

 Polyporus versicolor) 42

 Weeping Polypore Ischnoderma resinosum

 (Polyporus resinosus) 43

 Coral-Like Jelly Fungus Tremellodendron pallidum 44

 Northern Tooth Climacodon septentrionalis

 (Steccherinum septentrionale) 45

 On the ground

 Inky Caps Coprinus, Coprinellus, 

 Coprinopsis spp. 46

Upland Conifer Ecosystem

 Mycorrhizal

 On the ground associated with tree roots

 Slippery Jack Bolete Suillus luteus 48

 White Pine Bolete Suillus americanus 49

 The King Bolete Boletus edulis 50

 False Morel Gyromitra esculenta 52

 Golden Chanterelle Cantharellus cibarius 53
 Lilac Cort Cortinarius traganeus 54

 False Chanterelle Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca 55

 False Truffl es Rhizopogon spp. 56

 Witches Hat Hygrocybe conica

 (Hygrophorous conicus) 57

 Saprophytic Litter and Wood Decay

 On wood

 Pine Conk Phellinus pini (Fomes pini) 58

 The Red Band Fungus Fomitopsis pinicola

 (Fomes pinicola) 59

 Conifer Parchment Phlebiopsis gigantea

 (Peniophora gigantea) 60

 Velvet Top Fungus Phaeolus schweinitzii

 (Polyporus schweinitzii) 61

 On the ground

 Club Coral Clavariadelphus ligula 62

 Pathogenic

 On the ground associated with tree roots or on wood

 Honey Mushroom Armillaria solidipes 

 (A. ostoyae) 63

 Truffl e Eater Cordyceps ophioglossoides 64

 Conifer-Base Polypore Heterobasidion irregulare

 (H. annosum, Fomes annosus) 65

 Sulfur Shelf Laetiporus sulphureus

 (Polyporus sulphureus) 67

Lowland Conifer Ecosystem

 Mycorrhizal

 On the ground associated with tree roots

 Hollow Stem Larch Suillus Suillus cavipes 70

 Short-Stemmed Russula Russula brevipes 71

 Swamp Death Angel Amanita brunnescens 72

 Larch Suillus Suillus grevillei 73

 Tent Stakes Gomphidius glutinosus 74

 Hedgehog Mushroom Hydnum repandum

 (Dentinum repandum) 75

 Milky Caps Lactarius volemus 77

 Emetic Russula Russula emetica 78
 Saprophytic Litter and Wood Decay

 On wood

 Yellow-Red Gill Polypore Gloeophyllum sepiarium

 (Lenzites sepiaria) 79

 Hairy Cushion Onnia tomentosa

 (Inonotus tomentosus, 

 Polyporus tomentosus) 80

 On the ground

 Coral Fungus Clavicorona pyxidata 81

Suggested References 82

Mycological Web Sites 82
1

INTRODUCTION: ABOUT THIS GUIDE

Th is guide is intended to serve as a quick reference to selected, 

common macrofungi (fungi with large fruit bodies such as 

mushrooms, brackets, or conks) frequently encountered in four 

broad forest ecosystems in the Midwest and Northeast: aspen-birch, 

northern hardwoods, lowland conifers, and upland conifers. Although 

these fungi are most common in the ecosystems we list them in, many 

can be found associated with tree species in multiple ecosystems. We 

provide brief identifying characteristics of the selected mushrooms 

to allow you to identify some down to the species level and others to 

the genus or group to which they belong. Former scientifi c names are 

provided in parentheses. Also included in each mushroom description 

are details about its ecosystem function, season of fruiting, edibility, 

and other characteristics.

Although we provide information about edibility in this guide, 

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of 

its identity: many mushroom species look alike and some species 

are highly poisonous. Many mushrooms can be identifi ed only by 

examining the color of spore prints or by examining spores and tissues 

under a microscope. As mushrooms age, changes in their shape, 

color, and general appearance make it necessary to examine several 

individuals for their distinguishing features.

For additional information on other species of macrofungi, serious 

mushroom hunters may wish to consult any of the excellent illustrated 

guides and detailed keys available (see Suggested References at the end 

of this guide). Several useful mycological Web sites with images and 

descriptions of fungi are available and a few of these are also listed.
2

Mushroom Basics

Fungi are important organisms that serve many vital functions in 

forest ecosystems including decomposition (Fig. 1), nutrient cycling, 

symbiotic relationships with trees and other plants, biological control 

of other fungi, and as the causal agents of diseases in plants and 

animals. Mushrooms are sources of food for wildlife (Figs. 2, 3), and 

fungi that cause decay in living trees are benefi cial to many species of 

birds and mammals (Figs. 4, 5). Less than 5 percent of the estimated 

1.5 million species of fungi have been described, and their exact roles 

and interactions in ecosystems are largely unknown.

Figure 1.—Mossy Maze Polypore (Cerrena unicolor

[Daedalea unicolor]). Wood decay fungi are critical in 

nutrient cycling and increasing soil fertility.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
3

Macrofungi are distinguished from other fungi by their fruiting 

structures (fruit bodies bearing spores) that we know as mushrooms. 

Mushrooms with gills, the most common, produce spores that range 

from white to pink and shades of yellow to brown to black. Most 

mushrooms produce spores on gills that increase the spore-bearing 

surface on the underside of the cap. Other mushrooms, such as the 

Boletes, produce their spores in elongated tubes, and the hedgehog 

mushrooms produce spores on elongated spines.

Most of the fungus biomass consists of the largely unseen mass of 

interwoven threadlike hyphae growing in plant tissues and in the soil. 

Annual variation in the timing and production of the aboveground 

mushrooms is largely infl uenced by temperature and precipitation.

Th e most commonly encountered macrofungi in our woodlands 

throughout the year are the wood-decaying bracket and conk fungi. 

Th ese fungi, found on the stems of dead and living trees, produce their 

spores in small, rigid tubes in leathery-woody fruit bodies that are 

annual or perennial. Th e perennial species produce a new layer of tubes 

to the enlarging fruit body each year.

Figure 3.—Emetic Russula (Russula 

emetica) stored on branches of black 

spruce by squirrels.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service

Figure 2.—Hollow Stem Larch Suillus 

(Suillus cavipes). 
4

Mushroom species form new clones when two compatible spores of the 

same species germinate and grow together. However, most mushroom 

spores are dispersed, germinate, and contribute genetic variation to 

established clones in soil and wood. In nature, many mushrooms and 

bracket fungi may look alike, but they do not interbreed and thus are 

distinct biological species. Th eir growth on diff erent hosts or physical 

separation from each other over time has made them genetically 

incompatible.

Th e parts of a mushroom important for identifying groups and species 

of fungi are shown in Figure 6. Species of Amanita are common, and 

some are deadly poisonous. Because they possess key identifying parts, 

we use an Amanita to illustrate the key structures of a mushroom.

Young mushrooms are called buttons or the egg stage and contain 

the preformed cap and stalk. As the mushroom grows, the cap breaks 

through the egg’s universal veil, the stalk elongates and the cap expands 

Figure 4.—Signs of woodpecker 

activity on aspen decayed by True 

Tinder Conk (Fomes fomentarius) and 

other decay fungi.

Figure 5.—Cavity in maple decayed 

by Mossy Maple Polypore (Oxyporous 

populinus [Fomes connatus]) used by 

a squirrel to cache acorns.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest ServiceMike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
5

like an umbrella. Th e secondary veil protecting the gills and spores is 

broken by the expanding cap, and remnants of this veil form a ring 

(annulus) on the stem, also referred to as the stipe or stalk. Amanita

mushrooms also have a cup (volva) at the base of the stalk, often 

within the soil layer. Th erefore, mushrooms should always be dug, 

not picked, in order to detect this cup feature of a potentially 

poisonous mushroom. In addition to the ring on the stalk and the 

basal cup, white gills that are free from the stalk and a white spore 

print distinguish Amanita mushrooms from other species.

Th e fungi illustrated in this guide serve critical ecological functions, 

and their roles as symbionts, in litter and wood decay, and as 

pathogens are described. An important benefi cial function of many 

Figure 6.—Identifying parts of an Amanita mushroom. 

Drawing by Melanie Moore, U.S. Forest Service.
6

macrofungi is the relationship with forest tree roots in the uptake 

of nutrients and water and in the protection of the tree roots from 

pathogenic fungi and nematodes. Strands (hyphae) of the fungus 

form a dense layer (mantle) around the fi ne roots of trees and extend 

out into the surrounding soil. Th is root-fungus association is called 

mycorrhizae and benefi ts both the fungus and the tree.

Pathogenic fungi such as the root and butt rot fungi illustrated in this 

guide can be damaging, but they also provide important ecological 

services through nutrient cycling and development of forest structure 

and wildlife habitat. Distinguishing the potential positive eff ects from 

the negative eff ects of these fungi will enable woodland managers 

and owners to make informed management decisions based on their 

objectives.
7

ASPEN-BIRCH 

ECOSYSTEM

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service

Aspen-birch
8

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria

Identifi cation: Cap yellow to orange with white scales that are 

remnants of the universal veil; white gills free from stalk; white veil; 

volva (cup) consisting of 2-3 scaly rings on stalk above bulbous base

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Mycorrhizal with hardwoods and conifers

Edibility: Poisonous

Fungal note: Th is fungus forms fairy rings that grow radially 3-5 

inches every year.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service

Amanita muscaria
9

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Destroying Angel Amanita virosa, A. verna, 

 A. bisporigera

Identifi cation: Cap white, smooth; white gills free from stalk; bulbous 

base; white veil

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Mycorrhizal with hardwoods and conifers

Edibility: Highly poisonous and often fatal

Fungal note: Th ese three mushrooms can only be distinguished from 

each other by their spore characteristics; collectively, they cause 95 

percent of fatal mushroom poisonings.

Amanita virosa

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
10

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity. used with permission Neil A. Anderson, University of Minnesota; 

The Omnipresent Laccaria Laccaria bicolor

Identifi cation: Cap colors vary from yellow to buff to orange to lilac, 

waxy, fi brous; stalk often twisted

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Mycorrhizal with aspen, spruce, and pine of all ages

Edibility: Good

Fungal note: Th is is one of the most common mushrooms on upland 

sites and was the fi rst mycorrhizal fungus to have its entire genome 

sequenced. Laccaria longipes is common with black spruce in bogs.

Laccaria bicolor

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service

Laccaria longipes
11

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Aspen Bolete Leccinum aurantiacum, 

 L. insigne

Identifi cation: Cap red-brown, dry; fl esh white turning red then bluegray when bruised; stalk with brown-black scales called scabers

Season of fruiting: Late summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Mycorrhizal with aspen

Edibility: Edible

Fungal note: Genera of boletes are distinguished from each other by 

spore color, linear or random arrangement of the tubes on their lower 

surface, and type of ornamentation on their stalks.

Leccinum aurantiacum

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
12

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Birch Bolete Leccinum scabrum

Identifi cation: Cap gray-brown to yellow-brown; fl esh white, not 

staining when bruised; stalk with brown-black scales called scabers

Season of fruiting: Late summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Mycorrhizal with birch

Edibility: Edible

Fungal note: Boletes are among the most sought after edible 

mushrooms and are ecologically important as tree symbionts.

Leccinum scabrum

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
13

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus populinus

 (P. ostreatus)

Identifi cation: Cap white-pale tan; stem usually lateral or absent; gills 

white and run down the stem; spore print white; found only on aspen

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Sapwood rotter

Edibility: Choice

Fungal note: Th ree closely related species are known: P. populinus is 

found on aspen; P. pulmonarius (P. sapidus) is found on hardwoods 

other than aspen and has a lilac color spore print; P. ostreatus has a 

white spore print and is also found on hardwoods other than aspen, 

often in riparian areas.

Pleurotus populinus

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
14

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Artist’s Conk Ganoderma applanatum

 (Fomes applanatus)

Identifi cation: Shelf-like, hard gray-brown zonate upper surface; white 

lower surface that turns brown when scratched

Season of fruiting: Perennial

Ecosystem function: Causes a white stem and butt rot of hardwoods

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Th e most common perennial wood decay fungus of dead 

and dying hardwood trees. A single conk can produce 1.25 billion 

spores each hour for 5-6 months each year.

Ganoderma applanatum

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
15

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

False Tinder Conk Phellinus tremulae

 (Fomes ignarius)

Identifi cation: Hoof-shaped, gray-black hard conk with a brown 

margin

Season of fruiting: Perennial

Ecosystem function: Causes a white trunk rot of aspen

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Th is fungus causes more wood volume loss than any 

other aspen pathogen; however, the resulting soft wood of aff ected 

stems is benefi cial for cavity-nesting wildlife. On average, decay 

extends 8 feet above and 5 feet below an individual conk.

Phellinus tremulae

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
16

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Cross section of aspen stem near a conk of False Tinder Conk (P. tremulae) 

revealing a column of soft, decayed wood that benefi ts cavity-nesting birds 

and animals.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service

Cavities excavated by woodpeckers in 

aspen affected by P. tremulae.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
17

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

True Tinder Conk Fomes fomentarius

Identifi cation: Hoof-shaped, gray, hard conk 

Season of fruiting: Perennial

Ecosystem function: Causes a wood rot, common on dead birch

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Th e felt-like inner layer makes excellent tinder. Th is 

material, called “amadou,” has also been used as a substitute for 

matches after soaking it in solutions of potassium or sodium nitrate 

and then drying it.

Fomes fomentarius

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
18

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Birch Polypore Piptoporus betulinus

 (Polyporus betulinus)

Identifi cation: Circular, round, shelf-like, white to brown

Season of fruiting: Annual

Ecosystem function: Causes a brown cubical wood rot, common on 

dead birch trees 

Edibility: Tough, inedible unless very young

Fungal note: Th e inner material of the conk can be used as fi re tinder 

when dry.

Piptoporus betulinus

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
19

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Multicolor Gill Polypore Lenzites betulina

Identifi cation: Fruit body leathery, hairy with alternating bands of 

gray, yellow, and brown; undulating, gray gills

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: White sapwood rot of dead birch and other 

hardwoods

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Fruit bodies are white when young, turning gray with 

age, often with green algae on the surface.

Lenzites betulina, bottom view.

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
20

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Morel (Sponge Mushroom) Morchella esculenta

Identifi cation: Cap resembles an inverted pine cone with ridges and 

deep pits, gray-cream-yellow; stem white-cream and hollow

Season of fruiting: Brief (2-3 weeks) in spring

Ecosystem function: Litter and wood decay; found on the ground 

among aspen and many other hardwood species, spruce, and pine of 

all ages

Edibility: Choice

Fungal note: One of the most sought after edible mushrooms.

Morchella esculenta

used with permissionNeil A. Anderson, University of Minnesota; 
21

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Honey Mushroom Armillaria gallica

Identifi cation: Cap tan to golden yellow; prominent ring on stem; 

white spore print; black “shoestring” cords (rhizomorphs) that 

transport food to growing hyphae

Season of fruiting: Fall

Ecosystem function: Root and butt rot capable of killing trees, 

especially stressed trees, creating root rot pockets resulting in canopy 

gaps

Edibility: Choice

Fungal note: An individual clone of this fungus, 15.4 ha in size 

and estimated to be 1,500 years old, was identifi ed in northern 

Michigan. Th e mushroom Entoloma abortivum parasitizes fruit 

bodies of Armillaria turning them into misshapen Abortive Entoloma

mushrooms.

Armillaria gallica

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
22

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service

Armillaria sp. with characteristic ring (annulus) on the stems.

Abortive Entoloma fruit body resulting from Armillaria mushrooms parasitized by 

Entoloma abortivum.

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
23

NORTHERN HARDWOOD 

ECOSYSTEM

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service

Northern hardwoods
24

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Giant Puffball Calvatia gigantea

Identifi cation: Softball-soccer ball in size; white leathery skin when 

young turning yellow-tan when mature

Season of fruiting: Late summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Mycorrhizal

Edibility: Edible when young

Fungal note: Giant puff balls 30.5 cm in diameter can produce 

7 trillion or more spores that are perfectly adapted to wind 

dissemination. In calm air, spores fall at a rate of 0.5 mm per second.

Calvatia gigantea

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
25

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Calvatia gigantea

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
26

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Bear’s Head Tooth Hericium coralloides

Identifi cation: From a single stem, the fruit body branches into 

clusters of snow-white spines that point down and bear the spores of 

the fungus on their outer surface. Spines darken to yellow or brown 

with age.

Season of fruiting: Late summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Decay of hardwood logs

Edibility: Choice

Fungal note: Th is fungus can be pickled, marinated, or fried.

Hericium coralloides

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
27

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Scaly Pholiota Pholiota squarrosa

Identifi cation: Cap dry, yellow-pale tan with brown scales; gills 

yellow-light brown, brown spores; stalk with a veil forming a ring, 

scales present below but not above ring

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Wood rotter of hardwoods and conifers

Edibility: Not recommended

Fungal note: Common butt rotter of living aspen and birch as well 

as down aspen logs. Often found in large clusters. P. squarrosoides is 

another very similar Pholiota species that is frequently found.

Pholiota squarrosa

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
28

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service

Milk-White Toothed Polypore Irpex lacteus

 (Polyporus tulipiferae)

Identifi cation: White, crust-like, fl at to substrate, pores breaking into 

teeth

Season of fruiting: Spring-fall

Ecosystem function: White rot of hardwoods

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Th is fungus is very common on dead branches of 

hardwood trees.

Irpex lacteus This specimen has discolored to yellow-brown with age.
29

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Violet Polypore Trichaptum biforme

 (Hirschioporus pargamenus, 

 Polyporus pargamenus)

Identifi cation: Fruit bodies thin, leathery, with zones of various colors 

and a violet pore surface only on the fruit body margin that breaks into 

teeth with age; often covering large areas of dead trees.

Season of fruiting: Spring-fall

Ecosystem function: White pocket rot of hardwoods, very common 

on dead aspen; a very similar species, T. abietinum, occurs on conifers

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: One of the most common decay fungi in the U.S. Th e 

sporocarps are often covered with green algal growth.

Trichaptum biforme

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
30

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Early growth form of Violet Polypore (Trichaptum biforme) on the lower surface 

of a fallen aspen stem.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service

Trichaptum biforme, upper and lower surface

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
31

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Smoky Polypore Bjerkandera adusta

 (Polyporus adustus)

Identifi cation: Clusters, small, white to grayish, velvety caps, pore 

surface gray to black

Season of fruiting: Spring-fall

Ecosystem function: White sapwood rot of dead hardwood trees

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Fruit bodies can revive after long periods of drought. 

Pores of fruit body are very small (5-7 pores per millimeter).

Bjerkandera adusta

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
32

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Bjerkandera adusta

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service

Bjerkandera adusta

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
33

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Common Split Gill Schizophyllum commune

Identifi cation: Clusters of leathery, whitish gray, fan-shaped gilled 

fruit bodies

Season of fruiting: Perennial

Ecosystem function: White sapwood rot of living and dead 

hardwood trees

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Spores of this fungus were obtained from fruit bodies 

after 50 years of dry storage. Each gill is split into two halves that curl 

in dry weather to protect the spore-bearing surface.

Schizophyllum commune

Schizophyllum commune, lower gill surface.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
34

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Hen of the Woods Grifola frondosa

 (Polyporus frondosus)

Identifi cation: Large, dull white to gray, solitary fruit bodies with 

overlapping shelves on the ground near stumps or at the base of living 

hardwood trees

Season of fruiting: Late summer-fall

Ecosystem function: White butt rot of hardwoods

Edibility: Choice

Fungal note: Always found growing on the ground.

Grifola frondosa

Neil A. Anderson, University of Minnesota; used with permission
35

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Maze Bracket Daedalea quercina

Identifi cation: Gray to light brown, leathery, shelf with mazelike 

lower surface 

Season of fruiting: Spring-fall

Ecosystem function: Brown heart rot of oaks

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Th is fungus is not found west of the Mississippi River.

Daedalea quercina, bottom view.

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
36

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Annual Shelf Fungus Phellinus gilvus

 (Polyporus gilvus)

Identifi cation: Leathery, yellow to brown shelf, yellow-brown interior 

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: White sapwood decay and occasionally heart rot

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Common on red oak and other hardwood trees.

Phellinus gilvus

Neil A. Anderson, University of Minnesota; used with permission
37

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Hoof Conk Phellinus everhartii

 (Fomes everhartii)

Identifi cation: Woody, hoof-shaped, brown to black and crusty upper 

surface, rusty brown interior

Season of fruiting: Perennial

Ecosystem function: White heart rot

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Common on oaks, this fungus can cause large economic 

losses.

Phellinus everhartii

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
38

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Diamond Polypore Polyporus alveolaris

 (Favolus alveolaris)

Identifi cation: Fruit body cream to orange or reddish brown; short 

lateral stalk, white to buff color; large diamond-shaped tubes

Season of fruiting: Spring-early summer on dead hardwood branches

Ecosystem function: White rot 

Edibility: Edible 

when young

Fungal note: Can 

cause decay when 

wood is at low 

moisture content.

Polyporus alveolaris, bottom view.

Polyporus alveolaris, top view.

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
39

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Dryad’s Saddle Polyporus squamosus

Identifi cation: Fan-shaped with central stalk, white-yellow with brown 

scales, white pore surface

Season of fruiting: Spring-fall

Ecosystem function: White heart rot of hardwood trees

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: It was estimated that a single fruit body of this fungus 

could produce 100 billion spores.

Polyporus squamosus

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
40

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Wildlife cavity in elm with heart rot caused by Dryad’s 

Saddle (Polyporus squamosus).

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
41

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Cinnabar-Red Polypore Pycnoporus cinnabarinus

 (Polyporus cinnabarinus)

Identifi cation: Orange-red, broadly attached leathery cap

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: White sapwood rot of dead hardwoods

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Some fruit bodies can produce spores into the second 

and third years.

Polyporus cinnabarinus, top view.

Polyporus cinnabarinus, bottom view.

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
42

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Turkey Tail Trametes versicolor

 (Coriolus versicolor, 

 Polyporus versicolor)

Identifi cation: Cap thin, leathery bracket-like; surface velvet-like with 

concentric bands of brown-red-yellow-gray-blue colors; pores whiteyellow

Season of fruiting: Spring-fall

Ecosystem function: Causes a white rot of hardwood trees and logs

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Wood decayed by this fungus often has black zone lines 

where diff erent clones of this species meet but do not exchange genetic 

material. Th e zone lines produce beautiful patterns in turned vases and 

other objects made with the aff ected wood, known as spalted wood.

Trametes versicolor

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
43

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Weeping Polypore Ischnoderma resinosum

 (Polyporus resinosus)

Identifi cation: Clusters of shelf-like fruit bodies; surface dark brown 

and velvety with a broad white margin; amber drops of a watery fl uid 

on the surface when fresh

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Decay of hardwoods, causes a white rot of 

sapwood and heartwood that causes the annual rings to separate

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Th e pores of older fruit bodies break up into tooth-like 

spines and the entire fruit body becomes brittle. Th e fruit body has an 

anise-like odor. A very similar form of this species occurs on conifers.

Ischnoderma resinosum

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
44

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Coral-Like Jelly Fungus Tremellodendron

 pallidum

Identifi cation: Fruit body resembling coral with white, leathery, 

fl attened upright branches found on the ground in hardwood and 

conifer stands

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall 

Ecosystem function: Decay of litter

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Th e spores of the true coral fungi develop on 

structures (basidia) on the exterior of their branches while spores of 

Tremellodendron pallidum develop on basidia within the branches.

Tremellodendron pallidum

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
45

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Northern Tooth Climacodon septentrionalis

 (Steccherinum septentrionale)

Identifi cation: Overlapping yellowish-white annual shelves with 

toothed undersides found on living hardwoods, especially maples

Season of fruiting: Late summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Spongy heart rot

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Th is fungus fruits only occasionally on individual trees, 

and its teeth can reach 10-15 mm in length.

Climacodon septentrionalis

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
46

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Inky Caps Coprinus, Coprinellus, 

 Coprinopsis spp.

Identifi cation: Cap conical in shape, tissue autodigests from the 

gills and cap margin into a black liquid containing black spores. 

Coprinus comatus (shaggy mane) has a large, white, scaly columnar 

cap; Coprinellus micaceus (mica cap) has a brown cap with mica-like 

particles; Coprinopsis atramentaria has a light gray-brown cap and 

occurs in clusters of 3 or more.

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Th is group of fungi fruits on buried, decayed 

woody debris

Edibility: Edible

Fungal note: Coprinopsis atramentaria and probably other related 

species contain coprine, a toxin that interacts with alcohol when 

ingested and causes severe nausea.

Coprinus comatus

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
47

UPLAND CONIFER 

ECOSYSTEM

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service

Upland conifer
48

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Slippery Jack Bolete Suillus luteus

Identifi cation: Cap smooth, sticky red-brown; fl esh white; tube 

openings radiate out from stalk in a linear pattern

Season of fruiting: Late summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Mycorrhizal with red pine of all ages

Edibility: Edible after removing skin of cap

Fungal note: Boletes are important food for insect larvae, 

invertebrates, turtles, snails, slugs, and many mammals, especially 

squirrels who often store the mushrooms in trees. Another bolete, S. 

brevipes, often found with jack pine, has such a short stalk that it looks 

like the cap is resting directly on the ground.

Suillus luteus, top and bottom views.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
49

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

White Pine Bolete Suillus americanus

Identifi cation: Cap yellow with red streaks, smooth; fl esh yellow; tube 

openings radiate out from stalk in a linear pattern

Season of fruiting: Late summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Mycorrhizal only with white pine

Edibility: Edible 

Fungal note: In mixed plantings of red and white pine, this mushroom 

will be found only in association with white pine. S. luteus will be 

found fruiting under red pine usually at the same time or within 1-2 

weeks of S. americanus.

Suillus americanus, top and bottom views.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
50

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

The King Bolete Boletus edulis

Identifi cation: Cap cream-brown to reddish brown; tube openings 

random resembling a sponge; fl esh white-yellow; stalk white-ivory with 

fi ne lines (reticulations) forming a net

Season of fruiting: Late summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Mycorrhizal with pine, spruce, oak, and birch

Edibility: Choice

Fungal note: Research suggests there are many diff erent strains of this 

species and some may have anti-cancer properties.

Boletus edulis

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
51

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Boletus edulis

Boletus edulis

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
52

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

False Morel Gyromitra esculenta

Identifi cation: Cap red-brown, irregular, brain-like; stalk white-yellow

Season of fruiting: Spring

Ecosystem function: Litter fungus in red and jack pine stands

Edibility: Poisonous; fumes while boiling this fungus can be toxic

Fungal note: Th is fungus is reported to produce the compound mono 

methyl hydrazine, found in rocket fuel.

Gyromitra esculenta

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
53

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Golden Chanterelle Cantharellus cibarius

Identifi cation: Cap yellow to orange, funnel-shape; gills shallow, 

yellow, blunt, and run down the yellow stalk

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Mycorrhizal with pine and upland hardwoods 

Edibility: Choice

Fungal note: Th e Cantharellus mushrooms are known worldwide 

as chantherelles and are some of the very best edible mushrooms. 

Chantherelles are always found growing from soil, unlike false 

chantherelles (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca) that are found on woody debris.

Cantharellus cibarius

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
54

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Lilac Cort Cortinarius traganeus

Identifi cation: Cap light lilac in color; annulus is curtain-like 

(individual threads are distinct)

Season of fruiting: Late summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Mycorrhizal with conifers

Edibility: Highly poisonous. No species in this genus should be eaten 

because some contain a deadly toxin.

Fungal note: Th e curtain-like annulus covering the gill surface is a 

distinctive trait of this genus.

Cortinarius traganeus

Curtain on young Cortinarius.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service

Minnesota; used with permissionNeil A. Anderson, University of 
55

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

False Chanterelle Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca

Identifi cation: Cap orange to orangish-brown, shallow, velvety, 

funnel-shaped; gills attached to stem; fl esh waxy

Season of fruiting: Late summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Decay of woody debris

Edibility: Not recommended

Fungal note: Often mistaken for the true chanterelle (Cantharellus 

cibarius), but the true chanterelle is a soil fungus and does not grow on 

woody debris.

Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca, top and bottom views.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
56

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

False Truffl es Rhizopogon spp.

Identifi cation: Mature fruit body the color and shape of a small russet 

potato with a chambered interior, white when young, form below or at 

the soil surface

Season of fruiting: Fall 

Ecosystem function: One of the most important mycorrhizal species 

with red pine of all ages 

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: More than 200 species of Rhizopogon have been 

described. Th ey are eaten and inadvertently spread by many wildlife 

species.

Rhizopogon sp.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
57

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Witches Hat Hygrocybe conica

 (Hygrophorous conicus)

Identifi cation: Cap cone-shaped with a defi nite peak when young, 

golden yellow-orange or red, sticky when wet; gills are waxy, white 

to olive yellow, and almost free from the stalk that is often twisted, 

hollow, striated and the same color as the cap

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Decays litter in conifer and hardwood stands

Edibility: Not recommended

Fungal note: Th ese brilliantly colored mushrooms have waxy gills that 

are triangular in cross section.

Hygrocybe conica

Neil A. Anderson, University of Minnesota; used with permission
58

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Pine Conk Phellinus pini (Fomes pini) 

Identifi cation: Shelf-like, tough, red-brown to brown-black

Season of fruiting: Perennial

Ecosystem function: Causes white pocket rot of living pine

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Th is fungus causes more decay of living pines than any 

other fungus but does not decay wood in service such as poles, posts, 

and structural timbers.

Phellinus pini

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
59

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

The Red Band Fungus Fomitopsis pinicola

 (Fomes pinicola)

Identifi cation: Brown-black, crusty fruit body with white-red margin 

and yellow-brown lower pore surface

Season of fruiting: Perennial on conifers and hardwoods

Ecosystem function: Common on dead trees and logs causing a 

brown rot

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Several biological species of this fungus are known.

Fomitopsis pinicola

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
60

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Conifer Parchment Phlebiopsis gigantea

 (Peniophora gigantea)

Identifi cation: Th in, white-tan crust on stumps and logs of pine that 

still have bark on them

Season of fruiting: Perennial 

Ecosystem function: Early colonizer of conifer sapwood

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Th is is the world’s best known biological control fungus. 

Conidia naturally disseminated or purposely applied onto freshly cut 

pine stumps will prevent decay by Heterobasidon annosum. Widely used 

in Europe, its use is not yet approved in the U.S.

Phlebiopsis gigantea on pine stump.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
61

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Velvet Top Fungus Phaeolus schweinitzii

 (Polyporus schweinitzii)

Identifi cation: Cap is a shallow funnel with a central stalk when 

decaying roots or in the form of a bracket when decaying standing 

trees, stumps, and logs. Color ranges from yellow-brown to dark redbrown, hairy with concentric ridges. Pores form a maze when young, 

becoming toothed with age.

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Decays the heartwood of living and dead red pine

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Mature red pines aff ected by this fungus are commonly 

wind thrown.

Phaeolus schweinitzii

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
62

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Club Coral Clavariadelphus ligula

Identifi cation: Club-shaped, smooth, orange-dull yellow

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Decay of pine litter 

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: A similar fungus, C. pistillaris, is found decaying litter in 

hardwood stands.

Clavariadelphus ligula

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
63

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Honey Mushroom Armillaria solidipes

 (A. ostoyae)

Identifi cation: Cap golden yellow; prominent ring on stem; black 

shoe-string cords (rhizomorphs) under bark of infected trees or in the soil

Season of fruiting: Late summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Causes a root and butt rot of pine

Edibility: Edible

Fungal note: Th e genus Armillaria is complex and contains 10 

biological species that have restricted geographical distributions and 

vegetation associations. Species can be distinguished only by using 

laboratory techniques. All species are luminescent, often glowing in 

patches of decayed root or stem tissue. Clones of Armillaria several 

hundred acres in size have been found in the western U.S.

Armillaria solidipes

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
64

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Truffl e Eater Cordyceps ophioglossoides

Identifi cation: Club-shaped; yellow to olive-brown; yellow 

threads extending down into the soil where it parasitizes the fungus 

Elaphomyces granulatus (deer truffl e)

Season of fruiting: Fall

Ecosystem function: Parasite of the deer truffl e (a dark brown sphere 

with thick walls and a solid black interior found underground) that 

is mycorrhizal with jack and red pine. Other Cordyceps species are 

parasites of insect larvae and aboveground plant feeding aphids.

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: From a 1-m2 sample area in a Minnesota jack pine stand, 

it was estimated that there were about 410,000 deer truffl es per ha. 

Th ese truffl es are fed upon by many mammal species.

Cordyceps ophioglossoides the truffl e eater. Several deer truffl es 

(Elaphomyces granulatus) were dug nearby and placed in the foreground.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
65

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Conifer-Base Polypore Heterobasidion irregulare

 (H. annosum, Fomes annosus)

Identifi cation: Fruit body small, white, “popcorn-like,” later lying fl at 

(resupinate) or shelf-like at base of trunks or on stumps; upper surface 

dark brown to black, hairy, becoming smooth with a hard crust; pore 

surface white-yellow 

Season of fruiting: Perennial

Ecosystem function: Causes a spongy rot of sapwood and heartwood

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: H. annosum is a species complex with pine, spruce, 

or fi r hosts. Phlebiopsis gigantea (conifer parchment) is used as a 

natural biological control of H. annosum in Europe when commercial 

formulations are applied to fresh stumps of pine when stands are 

thinned.

Heterobasidion irregulare at base of tree.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
66

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Heterobasidion irregulare, pore surface.

U.S. Forest Service Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service

Heterobasidion irregulare, on young white pine.
67

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Sulfur Shelf Laetiporus sulphureus

 (Polyporus sulphureus) 

Identifi cation: Multiple clusters of yellow-orange shelves growing on 

wood, soft, fl eshy when young, turning hard when mature 

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Causes a brown cubical rot of living and dead 

hardwood and conifer trees 

Edibility: Edible when young

Fungal note: Th is fungus, also called chicken of the woods, is very 

common on red oaks. A similar-looking species, L. cincinnatus, grows 

on the roots of infected trees.

Laetiporus sulphureus

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
68

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Laetiporus sulphureus

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service

Laetiporus sulphureus
69

LOWLAND CONIFER 

ECOSYSTEM

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service

Lowland conifer
70

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Hollow Stem Larch Suillus Suillus cavipes

Identifi cation: Cap surface dark red-brown with dense hair; pore 

surface white-pale yellow with tubes radiating out from a hollow stem

Season of fruiting: Fall

Ecosystem function: Mycorrhizal with tamarack in bogs

Edibility: Choice

Fungal note: Squirrels often cache this species in trees (Fig. 3).

Suillus cavipes, top and bottom views. Note hollow stem.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
71

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Short-Stemmed Russula Russula brevipes

Identifi cation: Cap white-yellow, funnel-shaped; alternating long and 

short gills extending down the stalk

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Mycorrhizal with hardwoods, pine, and black 

spruce

Edibility: Edible, said to be choice if colonized by the orange fungus 

Hypomyces lactifl uorum (bottom image)

Fungal note: Large groups of this mushroom can be overlooked 

because they are often partially covered by soil and leaf litter.

Russula brevipes parasitized by 

Hypomyces lactifl uorum.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service

Russula brevipes
72

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Swamp Death Angel Amanita brunnescens

Identifi cation: Cap light brown; veil and bulb present; white gills free 

from stalk

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Mycorrhizal with black spruce and tamarack in 

bogs

Edibility: Poisonous

Fungal note: Amanita mushrooms as a group are the most poisonous, 

accounting for almost all of the deaths caused by mushroom 

poisonings in the United States.

Amanita brunnescens

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
73

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Larch Suillus Suillus grevillei

Identifi cation: Cap shiny, bright red-brown, smooth, sticky; lower 

surface yellow; prominent veil on stalk

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Mycorrhizal with upland tamarack 

Edibility: Edible

Fungal note: An attractive, robust mushroom found only near 

tamarack.

Suillus grevillei

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
74

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Tent Stakes Gomphidius glutinosus

Identifi cation: Cap dark brown, sticky; gills run down the thick stalk; 

lower surface white but turning black when spores are released

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Mycorrhizal with white spruce and other conifers

Edibility: Edible

Fungal note: Mushrooms in this group are also called slime caps.

Gomphidius glutinosus

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
75

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Hedgehog Mushroom Hydnum repandum

 (Dentinum repandum)

Identifi cation: Cap buff -tan-dull orange with white-yellow teeth on 

the underside

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Litter decay hardwood and conifer stands

Edibility: Edible

Fungal note: Spores are produced on the outside surface of the 

downward pointing teeth.

Hydnum repandum, top view.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
76

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service

Hydnum repandum, bottom view.

Hydnum repandum, lower surface.

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
77

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Milky Caps Lactarius volemus

Identifi cation: Cap rounded, center often depressed; all members of 

this group contain a latex that is exuded when the gills are cut

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Mycorrhizal with conifer and hardwood trees

Edibility: Not recommended; mushrooms with a latex that turns 

yellow or lilac color are poisonous

Fungal note: Th e edible L. deliciosus, found in conifer and mixed 

conifer-hardwood stands, has an orange cap that becomes stained green 

when bruised and contains a yellow-orange latex.

Lactarius volemus, top and bottom views. Note liquid latex on cut gill surface.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
78

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Emetic Russula Russula emetica

Identifi cation: Cap smooth, bright red when fresh; evenly spaced 

white gills; stalk dull white and hollow

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Mycorrhizal with conifer trees

Edibility: Mildly poisonous

Fungal note: Th is species can be found in deep moss in bogs.

Russula emetica

Russula emetica, bottom view.

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
79

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Yellow-Red Gill Polypore Gloeophyllum

 sepiarium

 (Lenzites sepiaria)

Identifi cation: Wooly, reddish brown shelf; yellowish-brown gills

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Brown cubical rot of conifers

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Th is fungus can also decay coniferous wood products. 

Gloeophyllum sepiarium has both gills and pores and is thought to be a 

connecting link between the gill and pore fungi.

Gloeophyllum sepiarium 

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
80

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Hairy Cushion Onnia tomentosa

 (Inonotus tomentosus, 

 Polyporus tomentosus)

Identifi cation: Brown to yellow, hairy-velvety, funnel-shaped or shelflike on the ground at the base of trees

Season of fruiting: Summer-fall

Ecosystem function: Root and butt rot of pines and white and black 

spruce. A closely related fungus Onnia circinatum has been considered 

a variety of the hairy cushion. It causes a white pocket root and butt 

rot of pines and spruce. Th e species diff er mainly by the shape of sterile 

bristle-like structures (setae) in their spore-producing areas.

Edibility: Inedible

Fungal note: Spread by root contact, this fungus causes stand openings.

Onnia tomentosa

Joseph O’Brien, U.S. Forest Service
81

DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Coral Fungus Clavicorona pyxidata

Identifi cation: Multiple branched stalks, white-yellow, tips of 

branches forming a crown

Season of fruiting: Late spring-summer

Ecosystem function: Completes the breakdown of decayed wood

Edibility: Good when fresh

Fungal note: Spores form on the upright stalks of coral fungi and are 

thus unprotected from the elements compared to gill or pore fungi.

Clavicorona pyxidata

Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest Service
82

SUGGESTED REFERENCES

Arora, D. 1986. Mushrooms demystifi ed. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed 

Press. 959 p.

Bessette, A.E.; Bessette, A.R.; Fischer, D.W. 1997. Mushrooms of 

northeastern North America. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University 

Press. 582 p.

Bessette, A.E.; Roody, W.C.; Bessette, A.R. 2000. North American 

boletes. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press. 396 p.

Binion, D.E.; Stephenson, S.L.; Roody, W.C.; Burdsall, H.H., Jr.; 

Vasilyeva, L.N.; Miller, O.K., Jr. 2008. Macrofungi associated with 

oaks of eastern North America. Morgantown, WV: West Virginia 

University Press. 467 p.

Huff man, D.M.; Tiff any, L.H.; Knaphus, G.; Healy, R.A. 2008. 

Mushrooms and other fungi of the midcontinental United 

States. Iowa City, IA: University of Iowa Press. 370 p.

Lincoff , G.H. 1981. Th e Audubon Society fi eld guide to North 

American mushrooms. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 926 p.

McKnight, K.H.; McKnight, V.B. 1987. A fi eld guide to mushrooms 

of North America. Boston, New York: Houghton Miffl in. 429 p.

Miller, O.K., Jr. 1981. Mushrooms of North America. New York: 

E.P. Dutton. 368 p.

Miller, O.K., Jr.; Miller, H.H. 2006. North American mushrooms.

Gullford, CT, Helena, MT: FalconGuide. 583 p.

MYCOLOGICAL WEB SITES

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/

http://mushroomobserver.org/

http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/

http://www.messiah.edu/Oakes/fungi_on_wood/index.htm
Printed on Recycled Paper

Ostry, Michael E.; Anderson, Neil A.; O’Brien, Joesph G. 2011. Field 

guide to common macrofungi in eastern forests and their 

ecosystem functions. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-79. Newtown Square, 

PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern 

Research Station. 82 p.

Macrofungi are distinguished from other fungi by their spore-bearing 

fruit bodies (mushrooms, conks, brackets). These fungi are critical in 

forests, causing disease, and wood and litter decay, recycling nutrients, 

and forming symbiotic relationships with trees. This guide is intended 

to assist in identifying macrofungi and provide a description of the 

ecological functions of some of the most frequently encountered 

macrofungi in aspen-birch, northern hardwood, lowland conifer, and 

upland conifer forests in the Midwest and Northeast.

KEY WORDS: mushrooms, mycorrhizae, decomposers, pathogens, 

conks, decay

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and 

activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, 

sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic 

information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income 

is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all 

programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternate means for communication of 

program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET 

Center at (202)720-2600 (voice and TDD). To fi le a complaint of discrimination, write to 

USDA, Director, Offi ce of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, 

DC 20250-9410, or call (800)795-3272 (voice) or (202)720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an 

equal opportunity provider and employer.