BASIDIOMYCETES: Agaricales, Tricholomataceae

Jack-o-lantern, Omphalotus olearius

Basidiomycetes, order: Agaricales, family: Tricholomataceae

Height to 8"

Cap is up to 8" wide, convex, and becoming flattened to funnel-shaped, smooth, and bright yellow-orange. Stalk is thin, often tapering toward the base, and sometimes off-center. Gills are attached, thin-edged, descending down the stalk, colored as the cap, and may be seen glowing green in the dark. Spore print is cream-colored. Jack-o-lanterns grow on stumps and roots in mixed woodlands, often forming clusters. They are found during the summer and fall in eastern North America and during the winter in California. The mushroom is poisonous and causes stomach upset; caution must be taken not to confuse it with the similar-looking chanterelle.