# Salmon Pinkgill (*entoloma quadratum*)

The Salmon Pinkgill is a colorful mushroom that can often be found in forests and grassy areas. Its bright pink color and unique shape make it a fun find for little explorers!

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Forests and grassy areas
- **Also known as:** Pink Mushroom, Pinkgill, Salmon Mushroom

![Salmon Pinkgill](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Entoloma_quadratum_439935.jpg&width=800)

Photo: walt sturgeon (Mycowalt), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Entoloma_quadratum_439935.jpg)

## Appearance

The Salmon Pinkgill has a salmon-orange to brownish cap that can be bell-shaped or convex, often with an irregular or somewhat squarish outline. Its most distinct feature is the vibrant salmon-pink gills beneath the cap, which are widely spaced and attached to the stem. The stem is usually slender and the same color as the cap.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Agaricales
- **Family:** Entolomataceae
- **Genus:** Entoloma

## Interesting facts

- It is part of the huge \*Entoloma\* family, with over 1,000 different species!
- Its scientific name, \*quadratum\*, refers to its often squarish cap or angular spores!
- This mushroom's gills become darker pink as it matures because of its colored spores.
- Though beautiful, many of its close relatives are known to be poisonous!

## Special abilities

- **Forest Recycler:** Salmon Pinkgill has the ability to break down dead organic matter because of its saprobic nature, helping to recycle nutrients.
- **Pink Spore Disperser:** Salmon Pinkgill can spread its pink spores from its distinctive gills that help them reproduce and colonize new areas.
- **Angular Spore Craft:** Salmon Pinkgill has uniquely angular spores that help them differentiate from other mushroom types when examined closely.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 3-10 cm
- **Edible:** inedible
- **Size:** 2-6 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** soil
- **Season:** Late summer to fall
- **Spore Color:** Pink

## Ecological connections

- **Eats:** [White Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-oak) (*Quercus alba*) — decomposes its fallen leaves and dead wood.
- **Eats:** [Red Maple](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-maple) (*Acer rubrum*) — absorbs nutrients from its decaying organic matter.
- **Eaten by:** [Black Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — slimy slugs sometimes munch on its fruiting bodies.

## 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.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always ask an adult before touching or picking mushrooms!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Salmon Pinkgill?

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 Salmon Pinkgill?

3-10 cm

### Is Salmon Pinkgill edible?

inedible

### How big is Salmon Pinkgill?

2-6 cm

### Where is Salmon Pinkgill usually found?

Forests and grassy areas

### What does Salmon Pinkgill grow on?

soil

### When is Salmon Pinkgill in season?

Late summer to fall

### What color are Salmon Pinkgill spores?

Pink

## Where to spot

- [Raymond B. Winter State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/raymond-b-winter-state-park) — Pennsylvania, US · State Park

## 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: [Salmon Pinkgill: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/salmon-pinkgill)