Noah Coco '26
Managing Editor
Remember in October when we published an article listing several varieties of mushrooms you can find around north grounds? Well, that was just the tip of the iceberg, baby. There were so many shrooms that we had to cut those bad boys in half. In celebration of the fall decay, please enjoy the final five fungi…
1. Porphyrellus (Porphyrellus sordidus)[1]
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.
2. 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.
3. Saffron Bolete (Leccinellum crocipdium)[2]
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.
4. 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.
5. 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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