Mushroom Vignettes

Aaron Muderick

The mushroom Gymnopilus spectabilis is found worldwide, and I snapped this photo of a cluster in suburban Philadelphia. The species name is appropriate, for a spectacle is caused by a large cluster of bright orange mushrooms erupting virtually overnight. 

Figure 1. Young cluster of Gymnopilus spectabilis.

The specimen in Fig. 1 was one of tens of clusters that erupted over a 90-meter (300-feet) length of lawn at a newly built corporate center. As this mushroom is known to grow only on rotting wood, I assume that some kind of chipped wood mulch is under the turf.

Figure 2. Mushroom clusters cover this newly laid turf.

The common name for this species is "big laughing gym." A translation from the Japanese word waraitake is poisonous mushroom. However, a more literal translation of the kanji characters reveals more meaning. The first character is laughing and the second is mushroom:

??

This mushroom has the psychotropic substances psilocybin and psilocin in its tissue. These are the same chemicals found in the more well known psilocybin family of mushrooms. The reason that the mushrooms produce these chemicals remains unknown. Like plants, mushrooms build thousands of complex organic molecules to defend themselves from bacteria, fungi, insects, animal predators and parasites.

Caution: Consuming some mushrooms can cause serious and even fatal reactions. The identification of edible mushrooms requires expertise beyond what is presented here. Consult experts or mushroom identification guides for more information.

Gymnopilus spectabilus is actually a mushroom complex, a group of many related species that are almost indistinguishable. Many other mushrooms are complexes that can be identified only with a microscope or DNA analysis. In the case of Gymnopilus, the forms found in Japan and the Eastern United States are hallucinogenic. On the West Coast, the hallucinogenic compound is not present. This western complex is more likely to grow on conifers than other types of trees, and single caps can grow to the size of a large pizza!

Like many mushrooms, this one has a handful of look-a-likes. Learning to identify big laughing gym is a good exercise in learning the subtle morphological differences that separate mushroom species. An accurate mushroom identification is the result of an examination of the entire scene: type of soil and nearby vegetation, season, temperature, weather over the previous week, underground mycelium, stem, gills, spores, cap, and detailed connections between them. This makes accurate identification from a single photograph extremely difficult. It is a challenging task, but, as knowledge is gained, it becomes increasingly rewarding.

Figure 3. A mature big laughing gym (Gymnopilus spectabilis).

Note the brown spore residue on the left-hand side of the cap in Fig. 3. This mushroom has no veil remnant on its stem, though it is visible in younger specimens pictured in Fig. 1. The gills do not travel down the stem significantly.

Figure 4. A false Chantarelle (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca).

You may be tempted to make a mushroom identification based on the color difference, but color alone is one of the least accurate methods of mushroom identification. Note the sunken cap centers and overall concave shape of the specimen in Fig. 4. The gills travel down the stem more noticeably in this species. Most tellingly, the spore print is pure white. There is no veil at all, even in very young specimens.

Figure 5. Jack-O-Lantern (Omphalotus olearius).

Mature specimens of the jack-o-lantern (Fig. 5) have a larger cap than any of the look-a-likes. The caps' edges are rolling, sinuous, and often upturned at the margin. The gills travel down the stem quite obviously. The spore print is white or off-white.

Figure 6. Ringless Honey Mushroom (Armillariella tabescens).

The clustered specimen in Fig. 6 also has a white spore print and lacks a veil. The color is generally less pronounced, but remember that rain can literally wash the color from a mushroom cap. A cap that was bright orange might be brown days later. The caps of this mushroom are generally smaller than the other species described. This species is edible when cooked.

These are only three examples of big laughing gym look-a-likes, and there are many more. The next time you find an interesting mushroom in the woods or around your property, why not bring it home, learn how to make a spore print, take some pictures, and dive into the wacky world of mushroom identification.