Gymnopilus luteus

It is October, and the mushrooms are popping everywhere–in the grass, on logs and mulch, and of course on the forest floor. Frankly, I find this very distracting!

The robust mushrooms seen above are commonly called Yellow Gym or Yellow Gymnopilus. They grow on wood and have a medium to large, dry cap, a partial veil that leaves a ring on the stem, and a rusty-brown spore print. The cap color is pale white at first, developing soft yellow to dark orange features as it ages. The flesh of the cap is yellow when cut.

This mushroom has a classic mushroom shape. In its early stages, the cap margin is rolled under, overhanging the gills. There is usually a ring around the stem, which turns brown as the prolific spores fall. The stem bruises orange-brown when it is handled.

This mushroom is poisonous and hallucinogenic. See the slide show below that follows one group of mushrooms growing on a stump over 10 days of growth. The shape and color changes quite a bit from start to finish!