To identify a mushroom

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Identifying mushrooms isn't easy. That's why so many people kill themselves by doing it incorrectly. This angle tells us very little about the mushroom: it has a dry, pinkish brown cap. It's growing in a small group.




Here's a lot more information: First, the spore-producing surface is pores, not gills. (That puts it in the family of mushrooms called boletes). The bright yellow color seems like it should be distinctive. Both mushrooms are growing from a joined stem. A little bit of white mycelium can be seen in the substrate. The stems are "equal," meaning roughly the same width all the way down, not tapered or bulbous.


After some handling, there was no bruising visible. The speed and color that a bolete bruises are important identifying characteristics. Almost all boletes are mycorrhizal with certain tree species. This one, though growing in a mulch bed, was below mature red oaks, and was in the company of other mycorrhizal mushrooms.


And finally, the color of the spores is one of the most crucial identifiers. To obtain a spore print I beheaded the mushrooms, put the caps on a sheet of paper and covered them (with the lid of a takeout food container) for several hours. This spore color is olive brown.

This combination of characteristics: pinkish brown cap, bright yellow pores, joined equal stipes, olivaceous spore color, in association with oak in eastern North America in the summer suggests an identification: Boletus auriporus ("the golden-pored bolete").

See Michael Kuo: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/boletus_auriporus.html
Or RogersMushrooms: http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/DisplayBlock~bid~5605.asp