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Mushroom Monday: Orange Peel Fungus (Aleuria aurantia)
Today’s Mushroom Monday mushroom is the orange peel fungus (Aleuria aurantia). It’s a distinctive mushroom that looks a lot like its common name. Learn more about it in today’s post.
The Color
Orange peel fungus looks like an orange peel. On its topside, it is bright orange and hairless. When it’s immature, its underside is fuzzy and white. As it matures, the underside turns more orange and loses most of its fuzz.
The Shape
The caps have a cup shape and can also look like flower petals or be flattened. Their shapes can be irregular because they can grow grouped together and can press on each other. Sometimes the cap can have a slit in it, but not always. These mushrooms have no stem.
The Size
They can get to be around a half an inch or so across and around two inches tall.
Where Can They Be Found?
Orange peel fungus is a common mushroom and can be found across North America and in many other places in the world. They can be found in urban areas, growing from clay, growing from disturbed soil, or growing from grass.
Gills?
Orange peel fungi don’t have gills. Instead, they have very small pores on their top surface. The spores of the mushroom are distributed by the wind.
What Are Some Similar Species?
Some similar species include Sowerbyella rhenana (which is smaller and stemmed), Aleuria cestrica (which is smaller), and Lachnellula spp. (which are significantly smaller and can be found on dead wood). Orange Peel Fungus (Aleuria aurantia) may also be called Aleuria wisconsinensis.
What Is Their Relationship With Plants?
Orange peel fungus are saprophytic but may also be mycorrhizal.
If you liked learning about orange peel fungus, check out our other Mushroom Monday posts on our TrueTreeTalk blog. Follow us on Facebook to keep up with these and other posts.
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