# Eastern American Platterful Mushroom (*megacollybia rodmanii*)

The Eastern American Platterful Mushroom has a wide, flat cap that looks like a little plate! It often grows in groups, making it a fun sight to see in the forest.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 11
- **Habitat:** Moist, wooded areas, often found on the forest floor.
- **Also known as:** Plate Mushroom, Platterful Mushroom, Rodman's Mushroom

![Eastern American Platterful Mushroom](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/532392833/medium.jpg)

Photo: nebrooks, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/532392833)

## Appearance

The Eastern American Platterful Mushroom has a broad, often wavy cap ranging from yellowish-brown to reddish-brown. Its widely spaced gills are white, contrasting with its sturdy, fibrous stem that can be paler or match the cap color.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Agaricales
- **Family:** Tricholomataceae
- **Genus:** Megacollybia

## Interesting facts

- Its name, "Platterful," refers to its impressively broad, plate-like cap.
- This fungus helps forests stay healthy by recycling nutrients from dead wood.
- This mushroom is one of the largest wood-decaying fungi in eastern North America!
- Unlike many mushrooms, its gills are unusually far apart and very thick.

## Special abilities

- **Wood Decomposer Power:** Eastern American Platterful Mushroom can break down tough, dead wood because of special enzymes that help them return nutrients to the soil.
- **Buried Treasure Hunter:** Eastern American Platterful Mushroom has a unique ability to find and decompose buried wood, even if it's hidden under soil and leaves.
- **Spore Dispersal System:** Eastern American Platterful Mushroom can release millions of tiny white spores that help them travel on air currents to new places.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-15 cm
- **Edible:** edible
- **Size:** 5-20 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** wood
- **Season:** Summer to Fall
- **Spore Color:** White

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Do not touch or eat wild mushrooms without an adult's permission.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Eastern American Platterful Mushroom?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Eastern American Platterful Mushroom?

5-15 cm

### Is Eastern American Platterful Mushroom edible?

edible

### How big is Eastern American Platterful Mushroom?

5-20 cm

### Where is Eastern American Platterful Mushroom usually found?

Moist, wooded areas, often found on the forest floor.

### What does Eastern American Platterful Mushroom grow on?

wood

### When is Eastern American Platterful Mushroom in season?

Summer to Fall

### What color are Eastern American Platterful Mushroom spores?

White

## Where to spot

- [Bald Eagle State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bald-eagle-state-forest) — Pennsylvania, US · Forest
- [Bean Hill Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bean-hill-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District
- [Chelsea Parade Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chelsea-parade-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District
- [Loyalsock State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/loyalsock-state-forest) — Pennsylvania, US · Forest
- [Lyman Run State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lyman-run-state-park) — Pennsylvania, US · State Park
- [North Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/north-park) — Pennsylvania, US · Park

[View all places to see Eastern American Platterful Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/eastern-american-platterful-mushroom)

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Eastern American Platterful Mushroom Facts — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-american-platterful-mushroom)