Learn how to identify and admire the toxic (but not deadly!) Omphalotus illudens, commonly called the Jack o' Lantern mushroom. This common eastern US wood decomposer can be found on dead wood and in clusters at the bases of trees. With their vibrant orange colors and gills that run down the stem, some people mistake Omphalotus illudens for edible chanterelle mushrooms, so there are usually some poisonings related to Jack o' Lantern mushrooms every fall.
Fortunately, the gastrointestinal distress from eating Jack o' Lantern mushrooms resolves quickly once the offending mushroom leaves your system (from one end or the other). Even more fortunately, Omphalotus mushrooms are fairly easy to recognize and distinguish from chanterelles. The orange of Jack o' Lanterns is bright and in your face compared to the polite, soft-spoken golds, peaches, and yellows of Cantharellus (chanterelle) species. Jack o' Lanterns also form stupendously large clusters of fruiting bodies joined at the base.
Learn more about Omphalotus mushrooms, including potential medical uses for chemicals derived from this mushroom, similar species in the western US and Europe, and an informal assessment of this species' suitability as ammunition for mushroom fights.
4 окт 2024
