# Pinewood Gingertail (*xeromphalina campanella*)

The Pinewood Gingertail is a bright orange mushroom that looks like a little bell! It grows on decaying wood, helping nature recycle nutrients.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 2
- **Habitat:** Found in pine forests, often on decaying wood.
- **Also known as:** Forest Ginger Mushroom, Glow-in-the-Dark Fungus, Orange Bell Mushroom

![Pinewood Gingertail](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Gl%C3%B6ckchen_Nabeling_Xeromphalina_campanella.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gl%C3%B6ckchen_Nabeling_Xeromphalina_campanella.jpg)

## Appearance

The Pinewood Gingertail has a tiny, bell-shaped cap, often bright orange-yellow fading to reddish-brown. Its thin stem is the same fiery color, and the gills underneath are distinctively ribbed, radiating like spokes on a wheel.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Agaricales
- **Family:** Mycenaceae
- **Genus:** Xeromphalina

## Interesting facts

- Despite being tiny, these fungi are mighty forest recyclers.
- Look closely at its gills; they look like tiny bicycle spokes!
- Their scientific name, campanella, means 'little bell' in Latin.
- You might spot them growing in huge clusters, like a mushroom party!

## Special abilities

- **Glow Power:** Pinewood Gingertail can glow faintly in the dark because it has special chemicals that create light without heat.
- **Wood Eater:** Pinewood Gingertail has powerful enzymes that help them break down tough dead wood, recycling nutrients back into the forest soil.
- **Tough Stem:** Pinewood Gingertail has a remarkably wiry stem that helps them stand upright, even after drying out.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 1-6 cm
- **Edible:** inedible
- **Size:** 0.5-2.5 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** wood
- **Season:** Spring to fall
- **Spore Color:** White

## Ecological connections

- **Depends on:** [Eastern White Pine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-white-pine) (*Pinus strobus*) — Decomposes dead wood from this conifer species.
- **Depends on:** [White Spruce](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-spruce) (*Picea glauca*) — Breaks down fallen logs and stumps of this tree.
- **Eaten by:** Common Fungus Gnat (*Bradysia difformis*) — Larvae of this gnat sometimes feed on fungal tissue.

## 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 adult supervision.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Pinewood Gingertail?

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 Pinewood Gingertail?

1-6 cm

### Is Pinewood Gingertail edible?

inedible

### How big is Pinewood Gingertail?

0.5-2.5 cm

### Where is Pinewood Gingertail usually found?

Found in pine forests, often on decaying wood.

### What does Pinewood Gingertail grow on?

wood

### When is Pinewood Gingertail in season?

Spring to fall

### What color are Pinewood Gingertail spores?

White

## Where to spot

- [Polebridge Ranger Station Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/polebridge-ranger-station-historic-district) — Montana, US · Historic District
- [Lower Village District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lower-village-district) — New Hampshire, US · Historic District
- [Pennask Creek Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pennask-creek-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park

[View all places to see Pinewood Gingertail](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/pinewood-gingertail)

## 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: [Pinewood Gingertail: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pinewood-gingertail)