Noah Coco '26
Managing Editor
If April showers bring May flowers, then September monsoons bring North Grounds mushrooms. Charlottesville could not catch many breaks in the weather over the past few weeks, and the rain felt nearly constant, flooding softball fields, soggying socks, and making it very difficult to take my diva dog outside for a walk. Despite the gloom, however, the rainfall did have one generative consequence: the proliferation of mushrooms throughout North Grounds.
Easy to miss underfoot, mushrooms thrive in warm, damp, and dark environments, and the recent Charlottesville weather created perfect conditions for them to flourish. Now I do not claim to be a seasoned mycologist or even an amateur forager,[1] but my curiosity led me to frolic and detour around Grounds as I began to notice the rich fungal diversity proliferating in recent weeks.
Below I have attempted to identify some of the surprisingly numerous species I found simply strolling around North Grounds. As I already mentioned, when it comes to identifying wild mushrooms, I have essentially no idea what I am talking about. Keep that in mind. However, I did find an app appropriately titled “Picture Mushroom” that allowed me to upload my own pictures and returned recommendations of the most likely identifications. I uploaded all the pictures reported below and made some determinations of plausible identifications. Frankly, I would not be surprised if every single identification I made is still incorrect. Regardless, I hope this exercise serves as encouragement to explore your curiosity, especially as the days become darker and the prospect of classes, exams, and papers begin to creep in. Find time to have some fun and observe the natural world around you.[2]
1. Yellow Patches (Amanita flavoconia)
This first species of mushroom I found was within the Law School’s own Grounds, nestled delicately under the trees of Spies Garden. This makes sense, as the app instructs that this species is likely to grow under hardwoods or conifers and exists symbiotically with the trees’ roots. The caps begin to grow in a conical shape and feature patches of worts (from which the species apparently derives its name) before flattening out like many of the subjects pictured above. Despite the “burnt pancake” appearance of many of the caps, this species appears to be quite toxic and likely to induce severe gastrointestinal distress.
2. The Sickener (Russula emetica)[3]
This was a tough one. I found this species both underneath the trees between the Law School and the D3 lot, as well as adjacent to the yellow patches pictured above in Spies Garden. The results I received from the app suggested they could be a species called the “sickener,” an ominous portent. If so, this species is a highly toxic mushroom likely to cause severe gastrointestinal distress. However, its primary habitat according to the app is in wet, mossy woods beneath pine or spruce trees, which is not quite descriptive of the otherwise idyllic Spies Garden ecosystem, and very few of these species seem to have been identified in this geography. Alternatively, there are several species of russulas that have very similar physical characteristics. I decided to rule out the most likely contender, the creamy russula, because its primary growing season is January through March, whereas it is peak growing season for the sickener. I also ruled out another contender, the rosy russula, because that species’ stems appear to have a similar rosy pink hue, whereas the subjects in these pictures have only white stems.
I am also not very confident about this next species, which I found along the roadway adjacent to the Forum Hotel. There are apparently several species that look similar to the one pictured above, and my amateur eye is ill-equipped to discern the differences. Regardless, this identification seems plausible. The fragile dapperling is, as the name and pictures suggest, a very delicate mushroom prone to ripping and tearing of both the cap and stem. The app notes that this species grows in open forests and forest clearings, particularly on forest litter, which I suppose could be replicated by the mulching in this particular area? This species again appears to be toxic with similar gastrointestinal consequences.
4. Luxury Caps (Gymnopus luxurians)
This next species is one of the most abundant that I found in my exploration and can be found throughout North Grounds. This is perhaps no surprise since the app informs me that this species is commonly found in “cultivated” and “disturbed” areas, and oh, how disturbed these Grounds must be to foster such rich proliferation of this species. Luxury caps have a brown center that fades into lighter and creamier hues towards the edges. I presume this species gets its name from the undulating surface of the caps, reminiscent of the flowing garments of Renaissance-era marble sculptures. The picture on the right features younger subjects, while the picture on the left captures the upward-curved edges indicative of mature subjects. Luxury caps frequently grow in wood chips and mulch in suburban habitats. This might be the first non-toxic species on the list, but please don’t eat them. Please.[6]
5. Mulch Fieldcap (Agrocybe putaminum)[7]
Another species of mushroom that can be found with relative abundance around North Grounds is the small mulch fieldcap. Much like the luxury caps, they frequently grow in cultivated and disturbed landscapes, and in particular atop wood chips and other decaying wood debris, which again explains why they proliferate so widely in this area. The caps of this species have a bulbous dome shape in hues of tan or ochre. Curiously, this species—as well as its relative and leading contender for identification—is less common in September and October than it is in spring (its main growing season) and November. Although this is still a plausible identification, the app does warn that this species belongs to the quaint category of “Little Brown Mushrooms” (“LBM”), which comprises a great many varieties of mushrooms that have similar physical characteristics. Although the mulch fieldcap is non-toxic, it may be easily mistaken for many other varieties of toxic species.[8]
6. Porphyrellus (Porphyrellus sordidus)[9]
I spotted this next species beneath the trees in the grassy area between the D3 parking lot and the Law School. These sad subjects apparently do not have a colloquial name; the app provides essentially no descriptive information concerning this species; and Wikipedia is of marginal utility for filling in the details. Perhaps I just got this identification wrong. However, the height of the stem and size of the cap do roughly match the typical dimensions of a Porphyrellus sordidus. In addition, it is typical to see the brown caps begin to crack as they age, which appears to be happening in the images above. The app does mention that this species typically grows under oaks or conifers— which is again consistent with where I found these subjects—and we are still within this species’ primary growing season.
7. Grisette (Amanita vaginata)
I honestly feel most confident about this next identification because the app only returned one result. I also found these mushrooms under the trees next to the D3 parking lot. Grisettes have a moderately long stem and grayish-brown cap that is initially convex before flattening out as it matures. They are apparently a very hardy and adaptable species and can grow in coniferous or deciduous forests, or even in grassy areas in disturbed environments. They most commonly live symbiotically among tree roots, which appears to be where I found these subjects.
8. Saffron Bolete (Leccinellum crocipdium)[10]
The trees between the D3 lot and the Law School are apparently rich with diverse fungal life because this is the fourth species of mushroom I found thriving within the area’s arboreal embrace. There were several contenders for this identification, many within the same genus, but I decided on this species because of the relatively muted yellow hue and lack of deep wrinkles, which were more characteristic of some of the top alternative choices. However, this species is apparently another rare one to find. As this mushroom ages, its yellow hue will fade to brown, so if my identification is correct this is a relatively young subject. They commonly grow symbiotically with oak trees (surprise). The most likely alternative, the wrinkled leccinum, is a relatively more common species also known to grow among oak trees. But I decided against this alternative because wrinkled leccinums look like they generally have a deeper orange hue and develop much deeper wrinkles as they age. Perhaps this is just a young subject, as noted above, that has yet to develop its deep hues and wrinkles, but as always I will leave that precise determination to the professionals.
9. Blusher (Amanita rubescens)
The oak trees between the Law School and the D3 lot continue to deliver with this next subject. The blusher is yet another species that grows in a symbiotic relationship with tree roots, especially with oak or pine trees. It derives its name from the pinkish-red pigment it develops when cut or bruised. These mushrooms grow relatively large hemispherical caps that flatten as they mature and are spotted with grayish or brown patches. This species contains a toxic compound that can cause anemia. Most troubling, however, is the range of alternatives that the app suggested that bear a similar enough resemblance to warrant caution. The panther cap, for instance—also known as the false blusher—contains a highly toxic neurotoxin that sounds like it would ruin your day and then some. Whatever this subject is, I’d recommend steering clear.
10. Shoehorn Oyster (Hohenbuehelia petaloides)
I found this next species at the base of the trees in front of North Grounds Rec Center. The shoehorn oyster grows brown petal-shaped caps and are commonly found at the base of a tree or stump, and can grow in both heavily wooded and more developed areas. For that reason, it is again unsurprising to find this species around North Grounds.
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cmz4bx@virginia.edu
[1] See Noah Coco, Ramping Up to a Tasty Spring, Va. L. Weekly (Mar. 27, 2024), https://www.lawweekly.org/col/2024/3/28/ramping-up-to-a-tasty-spring.
[2] Before proceeding, it is probably worth including a disclaimer at this point. Wild mushrooms can be severely toxic. Consequently, none of these identifications purport to endorse consumption or even handling of wild mushrooms. In light of my abundant ignorance on the subject of mycology, all identifications should probably be presumed to be incorrect.
[3] Alternatives: Rosy Russula (Russula sanguinea); Creamy Russula (Russula cremoricolor)
[4] Alternatives: Flowerpot Parasol (Leucocopinus birnbaumii); Leucocopinus (Leucocopinus straminellus)
[5] LeuCOCOprinus fragilissimus.
[6] Please.
[7] Alternative: Common Fieldcap (Agrocybe pediades)
[8] See all preceding disclaimers and warnings about consumption, supra.
[9] Alternative: Red Cracking Bolete (Xerocomellus chrysenteron)
[10] Alternatives: Wrinkled leccinum (Leccinum rugosiceps); Rugiboletus (Rugiboletus extremiorientalis)