Mushroom Monday: Pycnoporus cinnabarinus
October 7, 2024
Mushroom Monday: Sheathed Woodtuft (Kuehneromyces mutabilis)
Today’s Mushroom Monday mushroom is the sheathed woodtuft (Kuehneromyces mutabilis). It’s an interesting mushroom that changes color when it dries and has a few lookalikes. Learn more about it in today’s TrueTreeTalk post.
The Sheathed Woodtuft Cap
Sheathed woodtuft mushrooms have caps that are about two inches across and convex to flat in shape. They can be sticky to the touch and they have a brownish orange color with no hairs. One interesting feature of this mushroom is that the color changes as it dries. The orange-brown color becomes yellow and it can have two tones as it goes through the process. The color changes from the middle to edge which is different from some other mushrooms whose color changes.
The Sheathed Woodtuft Stem
There are some notable features of the sheathed woodtuft stem. The ring is generally distinct when the mushroom is young. Above the ring, the stem is smooth, and below it, it is covered in scales. The stem is two to three and a half inches tall and it gets narrower toward the base.
The Sheathed Woodtuft Gills
The gills and stem are attached, although some of the gills can be short. They darken as the mushroom ages changing from a white/tan color to a reddish-brown color. When the mushroom is young, the gills can have a partial veil covering them.
Where can Sheathed Woodtuft Mushrooms be Found?
Sheathed woodtuft mushrooms can be found growing in groups from many different types of wood. They are saprophytic mushrooms and can appear in different seasons in mountainous regions of North America.
What are Some Similar Looking Mushrooms?
Some similar looking mushrooms include Galerina marginata (the stem of which lacks scales), Hypholoma capnoides (the stem is smooth and the gills are a different color), and various Armillaria mushrooms.
If you liked learning about sheathed woodtuft mushrooms (Kuehneromyces mutabilis), 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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