Jack O'Lantern Mushroom
ExploreFungi
Jack O'Lantern Mushroom
Omphalotus
The Jack O'Lantern Mushroom glows in the dark! It’s a fun mushroom to spot at night.
Habitat: Forests
Appearance
The Jack O'Lantern Mushroom has vibrant orange to yellowish-orange caps and gills that run down its stem. It often grows in large clusters at the base of trees or on decaying wood. Its bright color and decurrent gills make it visually distinct.
KingdomFungiPhylumBasidiomycotaClassAgaricomycetesOrderAgaricalesFamilyOmphalotaceaeGenusOmphalotus
Category
FungiRarity
Epic
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
Be the first to snap!
Interesting facts
Despite its spooky name, it's not actually a pumpkin!
Its bright color warns animals that it's not safe to eat.
People sometimes confuse it with edible chanterelle mushrooms, but its gills are different.
You might spot its ghostly glow more easily on really dark, humid nights.
Special abilities
Ability
Nightlight Fungi
Jack O'Lantern Mushroom has bioluminescence that helps them glow in the dark, attracting insects to spread their spores.
Ability
Tree Recycler
Jack O'Lantern Mushroom can decompose dead wood, recycling nutrients back into the forest soil for new plants.
Measurements & details
- Height
- 5-15 cm
- Edibility
- poisonous
- Cap Diameter
- 5-20 cm
- Growth Substrate
- wood
- Season
- Late summer to fall
- Spore Color
- White to pale yellow
Ecological connections
Traits
Cluster Flower
Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem.
Spore Producing
Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
Forest
Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
Glowing
Pertaining to organisms that emit light through bioluminescence or fluorescence.
Also known as
Fool's MushroomOmphalotus olearius
Collections
Safety
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Do not pick or eat anything you find. Some plants and mushrooms can be harmful.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to identify Jack O'Lantern Mushroom?
The easiest way to identify Jack O'Lantern Mushroom is to use the Snappit nature identifier app.
How tall is Jack O'Lantern Mushroom?
5-15 cm
Is Jack O'Lantern Mushroom edible?
poisonous
How big is Jack O'Lantern Mushroom?
5-20 cm
Where is Jack O'Lantern Mushroom usually found?
Forests
What does Jack O'Lantern Mushroom grow on?
wood
When is Jack O'Lantern Mushroom in season?
Late summer to fall
What color are Jack O'Lantern Mushroom spores?
White to pale yellow
Snap Map
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Recent Snaps
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