# What is this mushroom?



## SunsetSonata

I wish I had a camera at the time, but I didn't. I have looked all over Google trying to find this thing, and not having ANY luck.

The mushrooms were a consistant, neon orange, and I do mean NEON, not the deep orange mushrooms you see. The tallest were maybe 4-5" with a stem thickness of an inch or more. There were no tiny ones. I've seen on Google lots of neon orange mushrooms, but NONE with this shape - and here's the important part - they had NO umbrella style cap. The cap was a closed shape. Since this is a family forum I can't specifically announce what they resembled. :lookout: 

They were growing on the root system of a huge tree that had ripped out of the ground eons ago, deep in the woods. They were so bright they got my attention from quite far away. 

I am simply curious. I wouldn't touch the things, let alone put them in my mouth! What are these things?


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## Bear

I'm just gonna guess, possibily Jack-O-Latern. Do a goggle on it and see if it's what you've found.


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## mistletoad

I expect they are called what you cannot say on here - google stinkhorn - even the latin is a little graphic! lol


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## SunsetSonata

Neither.  Any other ideas?


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## mistletoad

I just realized we weren't on Melissa's forum so I will come right out and say which stinkhorn I meant - the dog penis mushroom. If it isn't that then I think we will need a better description.


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## SunsetSonata

LOL, never heard of that... looked it up, it's not that... the texture looks completely smooth, and the cap looks, well, not like a DOG penis, LOL


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## Bear

Hmmm, how about Lobster mushroom?


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## SunsetSonata

No, not that... it's got a traditional stem, with what I guess I would call a closed cap, sort of like a small egg shape pointed up.

Keep 'em coming! You all know a LOT more about this kind of thing than me!


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## Woodpecker

Is it any mushroom on here http://www.fungiphoto.com/CTLG/SYS1/C.clr.html? I know it doesn't tell you the type of mushroom but mabye someone will be able to help once they see it.


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## offthegrid

Is it either of these? I'm not sure I've seen either of these but I have a great reference book....

Calostoma Cinnabarina:










Cordyceps Militaris:


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## SunsetSonata

That website by color is helpful... I don't think I've found it yet, BUT...










That looks somewhat like it, but the stem on what I saw is a smooth orange (not mottled), the cap is smaller in relation to the stem, and I don't know if it's my monitor but the color is more neon orange and less orange-red. Hmmmm!


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## Bear

Sounds like your describing a stinkhorn. Try googling stinkhorn mushrooms and see if one of them is what you've found. A picture would really help!


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## SunsetSonata

Still can't find it. The stinkhorns look too pointy. Boy I'm hoping I can find time to go back soon and take pictures! Any more ideas? Lots of good ones, but still not quite right!


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## SunsetSonata

Well, should be easier to find the ID of this mushroom now - because the appearance changed.

I went back yesterday to take pictures. The mushrooms were still the brightest things in the woods - but - they weren't what we remembered. First of all, they grew. Quite a bit in the last few days. And they OPENED. Just like the umbrella style caps I said they were not. And most of all, they're nowhere near as bright as I remember them. My bf confirmed that they WERE indeed NEON orange, like traffic cone orange - that was the most amazing feature of all, I saw them from far away because they were such a beacon in the woods! I feel like I missed a once in a lifetime opportunity to take pictures - I had almost asked my bf to use his cell phone. These mushrooms probably had sprouted fairly recently and I just happened to come upon them at the right time. There's a really good chance that NO one had ever seen these things at all, let alone in their neon glory, and now that stage has passed - already!

I did take pictures. I do not have a photo sharing account. Anyone interested in posting a pic, and are there better ideas now that I have a NEW description of them?


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## Bear

Why not go to-www.photobucket.com and get an account; it's free! You can upload your pictures into their site and than post them here. If you email me the pictures maybe I can get them up. [email protected]


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## offthegrid

I think it is Witch's Hat - hydrogophorus conicus. My book shows one of each shape - closed cap and open cap, which is why I didn't post it before but I did wonder if they would change. Here's a picture but there are lots on the web and they can look quite different as they age:

http://morelmushroomhunting.com/hygrophorus_conicus.htm

The will bruise black, so that's apparently the easy way to confirm.


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## Bear




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## Bear




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## Bear




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## MELOC

Bear said:


> I'm just gonna guess, possibily Jack-O-Latern. Do a goggle on it and see if it's what you've found.


 
go back just after dark, sit down and let your eyes adjust. if they glow in the dark, they may indeed be jack-o-lantern.


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## offthegrid

OK, ixnay on the Witch's Hat. I thought you meant shaped like an orange traffic cone! 

I have to agree that they look like Jack-o'-lantern (omphalotus olearius); here's the description from my book: cap, gills, and stem orange to orange yellow, malodorous, gills running down stem, luminescent in the dark, spores white or cream. Habitat: in large clusters on stumps, buried roots (often of oaks). 

Sounds pretty similar and the picture looks right!


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## naturelover

Looks like "_Ringless_ Honey Mushroom", starts off orange and turns to bright yellow as it matures.

.


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## SunsetSonata

Thank you bear for posting the pictures! Glow in the dark? Fascinating!!! I actually wondered if they did the first time I saw them, but it was only a casual thought. Jack O'Lanterns are malodorous? Have to say I didn't notice any smell at all, would you have to put your nose right down to them to smell it? Also, I looked up ringless honey mushrooms and those look like normal pale mushrooms, but maybe I just didn't find ones in the orange/yellow color. Thank you everyone for your input! I'm curious what these things look like now, since their appearance changed so much in such a short period of time!


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