Search this site

Craterellus tubaeformis. Photo by Yevgeny Nyden Winter Chanterelles Bunch (Craterellus tubaeformis) Yevgeny Nyden Craterellus tubaeformis is an edible fungus, also known as yellowfoot, winter mushroom, winter chanterelle, and funnel chanterelle. Camera Panasonic DMC-GX1 Focal L. 14mm Aperture f/3.5 Shutter Sp. 1/10s ISO 1600 Flash Off Photo taken on January 26, 2013 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

Spooky Grisette (Amanita constricta). Photo by Adam Ryszka Spooky Grisette Adam Ryszka Even fungus likes to dress up. This Amanita species, possibly Amanita contricta ( grisette ), has patches of universal veil tissue resembling a skeletal hand. Thank you Adam for providing this great photo from up in Oregon. Camera Samsung SGH-T989 Focal L. 4mm Aperture f/2.7 Shutter Sp. 1/300s ISO 50 Flash Off Photo taken on October 16, 2016 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

Support We're still moving the following info over to this new system: Older Fungus Fair announcements and speaker lists Past bio pages If you can't find what you're looking for, try using the Search icon at the top of the page. If you still can't find what you're looking for, feel free to use the Contact Us form and ask where to find it. Where Did Things Go? In November 2025, we started moving this website to a new system. Here is a list of what is still being migrated.

Purple Slime (Cortinarius sp.). Photo by Sam Betty Purple Slime Sam Betty Taken by an FFSC member, now living in Sonoma. Cortinarius sp. can be seen at Salt Point. Camera Apple iPhone 6 Focal L. Aperture Shutter Sp. ISO Flash Photo taken on November 27, 2016 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

2026 Fair Speakers We had a great lineup of distinguished and up-and-coming speakers for 2026. To browse talks by day and time, see the 2026 Speaker Schedule . Talks: Friday: Revealing Fungal Secrets: Apps and Programs for Mushroom Discovery Alan Rockefeller Researcher and Photographer Talks: Saturday: Fungal Sporecasting: From Continental to Local Spore Drifts and Constraints on Fungal Dispersal Sunday: Truffles in the Wind: Unexpected Airborne Pathways for Underground Fungi Andrew Ratz Field and Lab Technician | University of Minnesota Talks: Friday: Tips and Techniques for Cooking With Mushrooms Chef Bob Wynn FFSC Minister of Culinary and Sustenance Talks: Sunday: Question And Answer Session about Identifying and Cooking Wild Mushrooms Sunday: Mushroom Cooking Demo with Tasting and optional Wine Pairing Chef Chad Hyatt Chef and Author Talks: Saturday: The Underground Internet, 30 Years Later Sunday: Sea Islands, Sky Islands, and Dry Islands: the Biogeography of Macrofungi Christian Schwarz Research Associate | UCSC Talks: Saturday: The Top Ten Edible and Poisonous Wild Mushrooms Sunday: DNA Sequencing for the Fungus Federation Douglas Smith Photographer, Educator, and FFSC Science Advisor Talks: Saturday: Medicinal Mushrooms Traditional Usage in Chinese Medicine and Modern Scientific Research Monday: Energetics of Medicinal Mushrooms in Traditional Chinese Medicine: How they Work Along with Herbs to Treat Various Conditions Dr. Bill Schoenbart Practitioner of Chinese Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture Talks: Sunday: Poisonous Mushrooms Monday: What You Need to Know About Poisonous Mushrooms Henry Young FFSC Science Advisor, Foray & ID Specialist, Willamette Valley Mushroom Society Talks: Saturday: Fungi in Art Through Space and Time Sunday: The Mystery of Amanita phalloides Jason Raiti Botany-Mycology Graduate Student, Pringle Lab | University of Wisconsin–Madison Talks: Sunday: Mushroom Cooking Demo with Tasting and optional Wine Pairing Jeff Emery Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard Talks: Sunday: Commercial Mushroom Cultivation Kyle Garrone Production Manager, Far West Fungi Talks: Saturday: Introduction to Mushroom Identification Saturday: Introduction to Mushroom Identification Sunday: Question And Answer Session about Identifying and Cooking Wild Mushrooms Phil Carpenter FFSC Science Advisor, NAMA Representative, and past CEO Talks: Saturday: Truffles: The Egos, Ecology, and Economics of Cultivating and Hunting Nature’s Nuggets of Gold Stephanie S. Jarvis, MSc Dir. of Mycology R&D | M2 Ingredients; Founder | Pacific Truffle Growers Talks: Saturday: Getting Started with Cultivation Vellany Pierce FFSC Prime Minister

Galerina marginata (autumnalis), aka “The Deadly Galerina” In this article we take a look at a little brown job, that is dear to my heart but probably not to most of yours. by Douglas Smith Galerina marginata (autumnalis). Photo by Douglas Smith (from mushroomobserver.org) Galerina marginata (autumnalis) is a small brown job, growing on well rotten logs and stumps during wet months. And as a small brown job, why do people care at all here, since for most people those are the mushrooms you do best to ignore? This species has been shown to contain the same toxins as that of Amanita phalloides , a.k.a. “the Death Cap”. That species has been associated with the most cases of deadly poisonings around the world. But in the case of G. marginata (autumnalis) since it is a LBJ (little brown job), it is rarely the case of mushroom poisonings, since who wants to eat LBJs anyway? But it comes up positive in tests for amanita-toxins, and in lists of poisonous mushrooms it always makes the cut. And people are always fascinated with deadly things, now, aren't they? So, what does this guy look like in the field? G. marginata (autumnalis) grows on well rotted logs and stumps, not twigs or leaf litter, so look for big damp things. It is a small brown mushroom, 1-3 inches in size, with light tan gills, a central stipe, and the stipe has a fibrous veil that is on the upper stipe that is usually brown with spore color, and collapsed downward. The cap is usually rounded, and only slightly striate right at the margin. The stipe is usually very dark coffee brown from the base, with a light coating of very pale fibrous hyphae below the veil. It often is found gregarious in clusters on the log, but sometimes found in small numbers or singly. Galerina marginata (autumnalis). Photo by Walt Sturgeon (from mushroomobserver.org) Galerina marginata (autumnalis). Photo by Dan Molter (from mushroomobserver.org) Following those details, you should be able to id to this species. It is found usually in the Bay Area on live oak, but north of the bay area it can be found also on the coast on usually Douglas fir, and sometimes other conifers. But if it is small and brown, why is a concern as a poisonous mushroom? As in all cases, mushrooms are not deadly or dangerous at all, as long as you don't eat them! Well, there are some people that have been known to be indiscriminate in trying small brown jobs, and accidentally eat one of these in a mix of other small guys. Usually these people are looking for mushrooms with dark purple-brown-black spore colors, where Galerina has a medium brown spore color. But you will have to find some of these people to ask for more details — personally, I have no idea why you would want to eat small brown mushrooms. Armillarea mellea. Photo by Douglas Smith (from mushroomobserver.org) Armillaria ostoyae. Photo by Alan Rockefeller (from mushroomobserver.org) This is a small concern for California, but in other places in the world, there are other concerns regarding confusion with mushrooms that are considered good edibles. In the east it has been reported that people have confused Galerina marginata (autumnalis) with Armillaria mellea , a.k.a. “the honey mushroom”. Armillaria species also grow on stumps, and usually in tight clusters, have brown caps, and a veil on the upper stipe. But Armillaria species have white spores, and the veil is much more persistent, and usually much larger. Many people would not confuse these mushrooms, but it has been reported that beginners excited by large fruitings of Armillaria on a stump, may grab a Galerina on the same stump without noticing. Kuehneromyces mutabilis . Photo by Douglas Smith (from mushroomobserver.org ) In other places in North America and more in Europe, there is also Kuehneromyces mutabilis , which is much closer to Galerina , in fact one source moved the mushroom into the genus of Galerina , but it is now recognized as its own genus by everyone today. Kuehneromyces mutabilis is a small to medium sized brown mushroom that grows on rotting logs and stumps, with a fibrous veil on the upper stipe. Which sounds the same as Galerina marginata (autumnalis) , but it differs in that it has scales on the stipe below the veil, and grows in tight clusters with attached stipes usually. Kuehneromyces mutabilis , in Europe at least, is considered a good edible by some, but is not a very popular mushroom for the table. Avoidance is mostly because of concerns over confusing it with a Galerina . Galerina badipes . Photo by Douglas Smith (from mushroomobserver.org ) But are those the only look-alikes? Of course not! As a small brown mushroom, there are quite a few others that could get confused with Galerina , such as many members of the genus Pholiota , or Gymnopilus . But perhaps closer, there is Pholiotina rugosa , and other species of Pholiotina , a cousin genus to Conocybe . Pholiotina rugosa is small brown, with brown spores and a veil on the stipe. But Pholiotina usually grows on small woody debris, and the veil is more membranous and is in the middle of the stipe, not on the upper stipe. Pholiotina rugosa doesn't really look like Galerina once you've seen a few of them, but there are other unknown species of Pholiotina out there, that look much more like Gale rina. These can be easily separated under the scope, but not always by eye really. And there are other species of Galerina : Galerina badipes is small and brown, on wood, and has a fibrous veil on the upper stipe. But this Galerina is strongly striate, and is on small woody debris, not large logs. This Galerina is in the same section as G. autumnalis , the section Naucoriopsis , and it has been shown that other species in this section also test positive for amanita toxins. All species in this section should be considered suspect. Pholiotina rugosa . Photo by Douglas Smith (from mushroomobserver.org) But is Galerina marginata (autumnalis) the main concern of small brown mushroom poisonings? Of course not! There are so many small brown wood rotting mushrooms, and so few of them have been tested for Amanita toxins, or anything is known about their toxicity at all. Pholiotina rugosa has been reported as toxic as well, and there might be confusions in reporting as to what species may have caused the poisonings. I was part of a poisoning discussion, where a test of amanita toxins came back positive, but the actual mushroom was never saved, photographed or ID'ed, there was a poisoning and a test, that was it. The conclusion was that it was a Galerina poisoning, but I was left with more questions. Might there be more small brown mushrooms that are just as poisonous? Yes, I would think so, but do we know enough yet to say which ones, and how many? Not even close. And there is the question: is Galerina marginata (autumnalis) still a valid species? Maybe not! Years ago genetic studies were done on Galerina species in the section of Naucoriopsis , all similar to Galerina marginata (autumnalis) . And this study showed that there is very little difference in the genetic sequences obtained between Galerina marginata (autumnalis) , Galerina unicolor , Galerina venetata , and some others. The conclusion was that these are all actually the same species, and the oldest name is valid, which is Galerina marginata . It is true, that the only difference between G. autumnalis and G. marginata was that the cap is viscid/slimy in G. autumnalis , and not in G. marginata , and collapsing these to the same species was a good idea. But that is probably not the full story, and time will tell to see if there are more species in this section of Galerina . So, look around when out there, on well rotted damp logs, for this little brown job. There is a world of mystery, and so many things are still unknown here. There is also danger, and lots of care to be taken if you are thinking about eating little brown jobs. Mushrooms covered: Galerina marginata (deadly galerina, funeral bell) Previous Description All Featured Fungi Next Description

Weathered Morel (2014). Photo by Hugh Smith Weathered Morel Hugh Smith Formerly called Morchella elata (which is now known not to exist in North America). Camera (Not provided) Focal L. Aperture Shutter Sp. ISO Flash Photo taken on May 18, 2014 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

Morel, the Magnificent Morel (2013). Photo by Hugh Smith Morel, the Magnificent Morel Hugh Smith This was one of only a few of this type of Morel that I found on this foray. I was in Lassen National Forest. It was a time when the State had no money to open all of the campgrounds. It was actually very late in the season for Morels, but there's always something to find. Morels in the Sierras like disturbed areas as well as burns. I went on a weekday. No one had begun to clean up the campgrounds where I was, and so it was a successful hunt... Camera Canon EOS REBEL T3i Focal L. 18mm Aperture f/13.0 Shutter Sp. 5s ISO 100 Flash Off Photo taken on May 22, 2013 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

Hygrocybe singeri, Western Witch's Hat Have you ever found a bright orange to red waxy cap, and brought it home only to find your once colorful mushroom was dingy black colored? You have found one of the blackening Hygrocybe , or the “Witch’s Hats”. by Noah Siegel Hygrocybe singeri. Photo by Noah Siegel They are some of our more common Waxy Caps, occuring in a wide variety of forest types; with a particular fondness for redwood or cypress duff. Our most common species is Hygrocybe singeri , recognized by its bright red, orange to yellow colors, a narrowly conical, often viscid cap, and black staining on all parts. Although the name H. conica has been used in California for fruitbodies with a dry stipe, many of these records seem to fall within the variably range of H. singeri . The joke is, you find H. conica in dry weather, and H. singeri when it is raining. However, there may be more than one species in the H. singeri complex. Hygrocybe olivaceoniger . Photo by Noah Siegel Other species of “Witch’s Hats” in California include Hygrocybe olivaceoniger ; which is a smaller species with a greenish to yellow cap, without orange-red tones. It can be difficult to distinguish from small, pale H. singeri , unless one has a range of fruitbodies. It’s an uncommon species in the North Coast redwood forest. Hygrocybe nigrescens . Photo by Noah Siegel More distinct is H. nigrescens (sensu CA), which has larger, consistently redder caps and occurrence under hardwoods. It can be common during wet years in the Sierra Nevada foothills and upper Central Valley oak zone. Hygrocybe conica grp. Found in Phil's Yard. Photo by Noah Siegel I have also seen a spring-fruiting species in the Sierra Nevada which appears to be distinct, a tiny species in Chamise duff ( Adenostoma fasciculatum ) in the foothills and one in Phil’s yard which looks closer to the European H. conica (but doesn’t match genetically). Hygrocybe singeri "alba" (Skyline 2012). Photo by Noah Siegel To make matters more confounding, species of Hygrocybe in this group can have pigmentless forms. The white form of H. singeri soon takes on a grayish cast, then blackish stains overall as it ages. Hygrocybe ( Hygrophorus ) albinellus , described from Boulder Creek appears to be a pure white form of H. acutoconica (and likely, a legit name for our western H. acutoconica ). Mushrooms covered: Hygrocybe acutoconica Hygrocybe albinellus (see Hygrophorus albinellus) Hygrocybe conica (witch's hat) Hygrocybe nigrescens ( blackening waxcap) Hygrocybe olivaceoniger Hygrocybe singeri (western witch's hat) Previous Description All Featured Fungi Next Description

Coccoras Coccoras are one of my favorite mushrooms to see and collect. The distinctive colors, thick cottony cap and striation on the cap edge makes this Amanita a little easier to ID. If I am unsure at any point, it stays in the ground and I take away the memory, image and sometimes a photo. by Katherine (Kitty) Elvin Amanita calyptroderma Debbie Viess has a very informative link on the BAMMS web site which tells more about this species. You can visit mushroomobserver.org and iNaturalist for observations. Amanita calyptroderma - Fall Coccora - tan to light brown Amanita vernicoccora - Spring Coccora - light yellow Dog with Coccoras. Photo by Katherine Elvin Coccora specimen When I was first learning I ran into a lovely patch, while walking my dog Lexy, which I thought where coccoras. But I was new, so I collected a few of them to get some positive ID. I came home and posted pictures of my finds along with another Amanita sp. found in the Spring favoring oak trees on google groups. I got some interesting comments warning me to be very careful. I did take my coccora sample and got a positive ID. Kitty with Coccoras Since then I have been enjoying both Fall and Spring coccoras found on the coastal ranges and in the Sierras. They are beautiful and delicious and best of all one large specimen provides a tasty addition to any meal. Be picky and selective. I choose only firm young ones and take only what I can use right away. Mushrooms covered: Amanita calyptroderma (coccora) Amanita vernicoccora Previous Description All Featured Fungi Next Description

Reishi Mushroom. Photo by Katherine Elvin Reishi Mushroom Katherine (Kitty) Elvin Lisa's finds... Camera Nikon COOLPIX P510 Focal L. 4mm Aperture f/3.0 Shutter Sp. 1/800s ISO 400 Flash Off Photo taken on September 18, 2015 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

2013 Fair Speakers We had a great lineup of speakers for the 2013 Fair. For the list of talks, check out the 2013 Speaker Schedule. Talks: Friday: Mycorrhizotopia: fungi are the puppet masters of the universe Sunday: From Aflatoxins to Zombies: weird weird weird fungi Britt Bunyard Publisher of Fungi Magazine Talks: Saturday: Cooking Demonstration Chef Bob Wynn FFSC Minister of Culinary and Sustenance Talks: Saturday: Cooking Demonstration Chef Cal Stamenov Executive Chef Talks: Sunday: Cooking Demonstration with Wine Pairing Chef Maurice Dissels Executive Chef, Birks Restaurant Talks: Friday: Kicking and Screaming: Dragging Mycology into the 21st Century with the Help of Citizen Scientists (aka YOU) Saturday: Tales from the Cryptogams - Twelve Alternative Lifestyles from the Kingdom Fungi. Beware! Sex, Death and Insanity lie ahead Christian Schwarz Research Associate | UCSC Talks: Saturday: Wheel of Fungi (Saturday) Sunday: Wheel of Fungi (Sunday) David Arora Author, "Mushrooms Demystified" Talks: Saturday: Introduction to Wild and Edible Mushrooms David Rust Tagline or Title Talks: Saturday: Zen and the Art of Mushroom Hunting Sunday: Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms of California Debbie Viess Tagline or Title Talks: Sunday: History of Mushroom Dyes Dorothy Beebee Scientific illustrator and mushroom dyer Talks: Saturday: Medicinal Mushrooms Dr. Christopher Hobbs, Ph.D., L.Ac Faculty, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Talks: Saturday: Mushroom Toxicology (Friday) Sunday: Mushroom Toxicology (Sunday) Henry Young FFSC Science Advisor, Foray & ID Specialist, Willamette Valley Mushroom Society Talks: Saturday: Cooking Demonstration Jeff Emery Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard Talks: Sunday: Introduction to Mushroom Identification Mark Gillespie FFSC Vice Chair, Science Advisor, and Past CEO Talks: Saturday: Introduction to Mushroom Identification Phil Carpenter FFSC Science Advisor, NAMA Representative, and past CEO