I found these mushrooms yesterday. I assumed they were
Flammulina velutipes, the Winter Mushroom, which is an orange mushroom that grows on wood during warm spells in the winter. Previously, I thought it was the only mushroom that grew during the winter in Minnesota. But after taking some pictures I realized they weren't
F. velutipes.
Notice the ring on the stem in the above picture.
F. velutipes does not have a ring; the mushrooms in these pictures are of
Galerina marginata, the Deadly Galerina.
In a previous
post about
F. velutipes, I spent a little time wondering why it was (presumably) the only mushroom that grew during Minnesota's winter. I now know that it is not the only mushroom. I read the species account for
G. marginata at
Mushroom Expert and it definitely mentions that this mushroom can be found in winter months. I wonder how many other mushrooms can be found sprouting in the snow?
I think it's an odd coincidence that the two mushrooms I have found growing in the winter look so similar. They both grow in cluster on wood and they are both smaller orange mushrooms. Differences include:
- a ring on the stem for G. marginata (often dissapears in age).
- no ring on F. velutipes, but sports a blackish velvety base.
- G. marginata has brown spore prints.
- F. velutipes has white spore prints.
- G. marginata is deadly poisonous.
- F. velutipes is edible.
I almost passed these mushrooms up, because as much as I enjoy finding mushrooms,
F. velutipes has been getting to be old news (ho hum, more
F. velutipes I thought to myself). But they looked so attractive in the snow and moss despite (or maybe because of) their aged appearance. I almost missed the ring on the stem, which is a good reminder not to be too confident in your mushroom identification (and consumption). I had looked at them for awhile, taking pictures, before I noticed it.
Anyone know of any other mushrooms that can be found in the winter in Minnesota?
