Winter mushroom

[ChristiaandeWit]

I found this guy today. Almost looks similar to honeys. Sorry that the last pictures were taken when it was rather dark. Found in Western NC

[Dave W]

Probably a species of Hypholoma, either H. lateritium or H. capnoides. Spore print color will either confirm or eliminate this possibility. Hypholoma mushrooms have dark grayish/purplish-brown spore prints. Honey Mushrooms --ie. species of Armillaria-- have creamy-white spore prints. Two other fairly common species of Hypholoma that are somewhat similar to the two mentioned above are the toxic species H. fasciculare and H. subviride. Either of these tends to produce smaller mushrooms with gills that are green when young (and become dark grayish-brown once the spores mature). All species mentioned grow on wood or seemingly on the ground but actually from buried wood. 

Finally, another late-season mushroom that grows on wood is the deadly poisonous Galerina marginata. The ones seen here are almost certainly not this species. But, anyone who looks for fall mushrooms should be aware of G. marginata (G. autumnalis in older field guides). Galerina mushrooms have rusty-brown spore prints. G. marginata is also sometimes found during winter or spring.