BigChucktheTrufflePig Posted August 28, 2017 Report Share Posted August 28, 2017 Picked these while out on a short walk in the woods...saw 4 monster bucks in a bachelor group and a bunch of these mushrooms. I didn't have my phone to take pics so I harvested a few for ID... I don't intend to eat them... They were growing under a dead oak 2 feet from a stream... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted August 28, 2017 Report Share Posted August 28, 2017 I'd say this is a Jack 'o Lantern, Omphalotus illudens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KY-FUNGI Posted August 29, 2017 Report Share Posted August 29, 2017 I am not an expert. Jack-O-Lanterns (JOLs) have sharp and nonforking gills that go down the stem a little from the cap. Chanterelles do not have gills; they have smooth, "melted" ridges. Typically, chanterelles grow alone or in pairs, out of soil not wood. JOLs are typically seen in big clusters and typically grow out of woody material (base or roots). Cut the stem bilaterally symmetrically... if the cut stem is orange inside, it's a JOL. Chanterelle stems are usually white inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted August 30, 2017 Report Share Posted August 30, 2017 Fertile surface on chanterelles varies somewhat by species. The "smooth chanterelle" --Cantharellus lateritius-- has a smooth to shallowly veined/wrinkled underside. But classic North American yellow chanterelles --several different species formerly known as Cantharellus cibarius-- have fairly well-developed pseudo-gills, gill-like ridges with blunt to somewhat sharp edges. KY-FUNGI's comment about the color of the internal flesh is a good tip. True chanterelles are white inside and the internal stalk flesh of Jack 'o Lantern is orangey and often somewhat marbled with whitish streaks/blotches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctaGreen02 Posted August 30, 2017 Report Share Posted August 30, 2017 Do Jack o' Lanterns glow when they are in the dark ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted August 30, 2017 Report Share Posted August 30, 2017 I have seen the bioluminescence of Omphalotus illudens once. I took a very fresh cluster of the mushrooms into a completely dark closet immediately after harvesting. It took about 5 minutes or so, I suppose for my eyes to adjust. The mushrooms glowed fluorescent green mostly on the gills. Pretty awesome really. Other times I have tried I did not experience the same result, possibly because the mushrooms were too old or because I waited too long to take them into a dark room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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