Mushroom identification

Honey mushrooms, scientifically known as Armillaria mellea, are a fascinating group of fungi that have captured the attention of mycologists and foragers alike. These edible mushrooms are sought after by culinary enthusiasts, but their identification can be tricky, especially when compared to their toxic look alike, the deadly galerina.

Mushroom identification Armillaria. The mushrooms in this group typically grow on trees and woody debris, often appearing in clusters around the base. Click on the pictures to enlarge them, and click on the captions to see the details and additional pictures. Remember that comparing the mushroom's likeness to a photograph is not a sufficient ...Mushroom Identification Guide. This foraging guide is designed to help identify edible mushrooms (fungi) and their poisonous lookalikes growing in the UK. This backs up information given on foraging courses led by The Foraging Course Company. Mushrooms (fungi) are listed alphabetically by common name. These online guides are …Hen of the Woods Identification—the best way how to identify Hen of the Woods is by knowing its key features, habitat, and fruiting time of the year. Also, by learning the distinguishing features of its lookalikes. As a popular edible wild mushroom in North America, this fall fungus is highly valuable for both its taste and health benefits.The notorious Magic Mushroom. October 28, 2016. Horse & Field Mushroom Imposter! – The Yellow Stainer. August 31, 2010. August 23, 2010. Load more.A guide to help you identify the best and most important wild mushrooms in the UK, with photos, scientific names, and seasonal filters. Learn how to distinguish edible from …May 30, 2023 · Mushrooms are the fruit of fungi, with around 14,000 species known as mushrooms; they come in various shapes and sizes, some edible and some poisonous. Identifying mushrooms involves examining their growth habits, caps, stalks, and spore surfaces, as well as color, bruising, and chemical reactions. Dichotomous keys are tools used to identify ... North American Mushrooms is an excellent field guide, small enough to be portable, yet expansive enough to cover hundreds of the most common species of mushrooms across the U.S. and Canada with easy-to-use keys, detailed text descriptions, and vivid color photography to aid the user in precise identification. The book includes more than 600 ...

ShroomID helps you identify mushrooms. The best mushroom identification app. Get AI predictions, human predictions, endless species data, and more! Welcome to ShroomID! The best mushroom hunting app available. Research thousands of species. ShroomID gives you the data you need on any type of mushroom.Spore Print. To identify a porcini mushroom, it is often helpful to take a spore print. This involves placing the cap of the mushroom on a piece of paper or foil and leaving it overnight. In the morning, the spores will have fallen onto the paper, leaving a pattern that can be used to identify the mushroom.Champignouf lets you upload a picture of a mushroom and suggests the species based on it. It has more than 1000 species, but the accuracy is not that good and the results are …identification or edibility of wild mushrooms. See the recommended resources below for more detailed and comprehensive information on this aspect of mushrooms. Recommended Resources Mushroom identification guidebooks and organizations useful for eastern North America: Barron, George. 1999. Mushrooms of Northeast North America. Renton, WA: Lone PineThe common conecap mushroom is a small, dainty brown-orange mushroom found in yards and lawns. The small yard mushroom is identified by its conical or bell-shaped cap, brown gills, and slender, straight stems. The cap is typically 0.4" to 1.2" (1 - 3 cm) in diameter on top of a stipe 2" to 3.5" (5 - 9 cm) tall.One of the most prized mushroom of the Pacific Northwest are the horse mushrooms. This highly sought after mushroom can be identified by: Identification: The horse mushroom is a large, white, fleshy fungus that grows in scattered clusters on the ground in meadows. The cap is 2.8-7.9 inches in diameter with pink gills underneath.Star earthballs often are partially buried and usually have soil and debris attached to them when picked. Size: 3-5.25 inches wide. Notes: These earthball fungi are the bane of many a homeowner. The large, tough bodies hinder (and sometimes destroy) lawnmower blades and cause ugly black patches on the lawn.

Learn how to identify common edible and poisonous mushrooms by their physical characteristics, such as pores, gills, or shelf. Find out how to dry, store, and cook mushrooms, and see examples of different mushroom species and their names.Deer mushrooms have long 2-5.25 inch long whitish stems that are usually covered in brown fibrous material. However, the stem may be just white or buff-tan colored. The base is slightly swollen or may be equal the entire length. The stem will discolor slightly near the base.Learn the basics of mushroom identification so you can forage confidently. Anyone can learn these techniques, all it takes is a little time and dedication to the process. Mushroom Foraging 101. Mushroom Identification Pictures and Examples. Identify Mushrooms: Learn About Gills, Pores, and Teeth.Turkey Tail Mushroom Identification Video. This video shows the various features of true turkey tail mushroom. It gets up close and personal with this mushroom to show you the fine velvety texture, its concentric bands of colors, and how pliable the mushroom should be. foragedfoodie. When identifying #turkeytailmushrooms, aka #trametes # ...Deadly Galerina Mushroom (Galerina marginata) Specifications: The Funeral Bell Mushroom has a honey yellow and brown cap, brown spores, tall and thick brown stems, cream gills. This type of mushroom grows from summer to fall in the United States, Ireland, and Britain. The Funeral Bell Mushroom can be found in yards in Iowa and the United States. 4. 4. Gills running down the stem, not platelike and thus not easily separable from the cap and stem (try removing an entire "gill" with your fingers or a sharp object); mushroom usually not growing on wood. Chanterelles and Trumpets. 4. Gills not as above; mushroom growing on wood or elsewhere. Gilled Mushrooms. 5.

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The name maitake means "dancing mushroom" in Japanese. It is also known as the "hen of the woods", "sheep's head", "king of mushrooms" (due to its large size), and "cloud mushroom". The Latin name is Grifola frondosa, referring to the mythical griffin. The maitake mushroom is a polypore. This means they have no gills on ...Earthball Mushroom Identification (General Characteristics and Traits) There are around two dozen Scleroderma species worldwide, and most of them can be found in the United States, but proper identification depends … Getting Started: How To Identify Mushrooms. All great things take time! Learn the basics of mushroom identification so you can forage confidently. Anyone can learn these techniques, all it takes is a little time and dedication to the process. MST Mushroom Identification Key. This dichotomous key was developed by MST member Antonio Cillero Rodrigo in 2020. To use a dichotomous key, follow the choices from #1 to the next choice which matches the characteristic you're trying to identify, and stop when you reach a genus. Links in the PDF lead to mushroomexpert.com.

The small mushrooms are easy to identify by their long, slender stems, white gills, and caps that are convex when young and maturing to flat. The mushrooms grow 2.75" to 7.87" (7 - 20 cm) tall with caps up to 4.7" (12 cm) across. Honey mushrooms are often found on various hardwood trees, such as oak, beech, maple, birch, and elm.In this article, we will discuss the key features that can help you identify shiitake mushrooms with confidence. Shiitake mushrooms are native to East Asia and are known for their distinctive umbrella-shaped caps and white gills. They have a light to dark brown cap that ranges from 5 to 15 cm in diameter. The cap edges roll down and inwards ...Another important honey mushroom identification feature is the attachment of the gills. They should be attached directly to the stem and sometimes begin to run down it. Always inspect the gill attachment on these mushrooms. Habitat/Growth. Always found growing on some sort of wood, usually at the base of trees (quite often oak).As you learn more about mushrooms you will be able to distinguish your favorites by smell. Taste is mild to bitter - these mushrooms are best when they are newly fruited, the older they get, the more bitter they become. Often the stalk is partially hollow. Flesh color is white to light brownish. Grows July - September.Describing Mushrooms and Keeping a Journal. Many years of experience helping others (and myself) identify mushrooms have convinced me that the surest route to success is to keep a journal in which you carefully describe the mushrooms you find before you try to identify them with field guides, websites, or technical literature. It is a time-consuming process but it works best, since missing ...31 Aug 2017. Types of mushroom in the UK: common identification guide. Helen Keating. Content manager, botanist and tree lover. Fungi are a huge and fascinating kingdom …1. Picture Mushroom. Picture Mushroom is a popular mushroom identification app that allows you to upload a photo of an unknown mushroom, and the community will help you identify the mushroom. The app rapidly identifies mushrooms from pictures but it’s difficult to tell the accuracy rate or the number of species the app …1. Choose mushrooms without white gills. Look for mushrooms with gills that are brown or tan. While some mushrooms with white gills are edible, the most …Identification: This flavorful mushroom has a unique shape and color that makes it easily recognizable to experienced foragers. With its distinctive funnel-like shape, black trumpet mushrooms have an black exterior and light gray on the underside. These mushrooms grow in clusters near tree roots or at the base of broadleaf trees such as oaks.Donna Ventura, 64, fell seriously ill with food poisoning just one hour after consuming a roll filled with salmon and the morel mushrooms at a local restaurant, …

The kit includes an illustrated Mushroom Field Guide, a Pocket Magnifying Glass for detailed inspections, Sterile Swabs for clean spore collection, and Simple Identification Tests for quick species determination. Discover the magic of mushrooms and delve into the fungal kingdom with MycoSense. Assess the potency of psilocybin with the rapid ...

Super rich database. Get access to a huge growing database of mushrooms and get everything you want to know about mushrooms. Picture Mushroom: Identify mushrooms with a snap, Simply take or upload a photo of any mushroom, and get accurate ID results within seconds, Super rich database.Apr 1, 2022 · Mushroom Foraging 101, The Urban Nanna, 2022. A short guide designed as an accompaniment to our face-to-face foraging workshops. Covers basic ID of three common species found in SE Australia, and as such is an excellent guide to start you off if you have access to pine trees/plantations. A Field Guide to the Fungi of Australia, Tony Young ... Mushroom Fact Sheets. Having some trouble with a specific type of mushroom? Below is a collection of mushroom fact sheets. If you have any further fungi issues or questions, please check out our fungal identification services or contact our specialist.. Stinkhorn Mushrooms (Agaricomycetes: Phallales: Phallaceae)Members' interests are wide ranging in areas related to fungi, including mushroom identification, photography, cooking and mushroom cultivation. The Mycological Society of Toronto is a non-profit, volunteer-managed association of amateur mycologists and others with an interest in wild mushrooms and other fungi, based in Toronto, Canada. Our ...All About Enoki. Wild enoki mushrooms grow all over North America, Europe, and Asia. Until recently, it was believed all these species were the same: Flammulina velutipes.However, just recently (2018), DNA sequencing put the Asian species as separate, and it is now named Flammulina filiformis.. But, even though the European/North American and Asian species are genetically different, their wild ...Viewing and Measuring Spores. Observing spores, and measuring them, is probably the easiest of the various microscope routines involved in mycology, and it's a good place to start.You will be surprised at how useful it can be in the identification process to know whether a mushroom's spores are smooth, "ornamented," "ridged," or "pitted" (etc.), and to know their dimensions.This is a key identification feature. The pores under the cap are white when young but turn yellow and then brown as the mushroom ages. King bolete flesh is white and it does not change color when cut. The cap and stems don't usually bruise, but might turn a very light red or brown. Light brown to dark brown cap.

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Mushroom identification and safety are crucial when foraging for wild mushrooms in Ohio. While some species may look similar to edible mushrooms, they can be toxic and cause severe illness or death. Therefore, it is essential to have a reliable identification guide and to follow safety protocols when foraging. Additionally, understanding the ...This is the standard, classic, black morel. It is the only black morel in most places, making it easy to identify. Region: East of the Rocky Mountains; prolific. Season: March-May. Habitat: Hardwood trees - ash, apple, cherry, and tulip. Size: Stem - ¾-3 inches tall; Cap - 1-3 inches high and ¾-2 inches wide.Pheasant Back Mushroom Identification. Identifying a pheasant back mushroom is easy. These are polypore mushrooms like chicken of the woods and hen of the woods, with honeycomb-shaped pores under the cap instead of gills. The cap is covered in thin, brown scales. They can grow to be quite large, and caps 12 inches across are common.Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) mushroom identification will come in useful because it has many look-alikes that look very similar. There are 50 species of the Trametes family. The Turkey tail mushroom and it's 2 look-alikes are the most common types of mushroom you will see when walking in the woods, foraging or hiking.Haymaker Mushroom (Panaeolus foenisecii) Specifications: The Haymaker Mushroom has a Brown cap, white spores, thin, small brown stalks, and brown gills. This type of mushroom grows from spring to early winter in Minnesota and the United States. It can also be found throughout the Northern Hemisphere of the world.The KOH test is used to identify whether a mushroom’s cap is hygrophanous or not. A hygrophanous cap changes color when wet or dry, while a non-hygrophanous cap will retain its color. The FeSO4 test is used to identify the presence of an iron compound called “atromentin” in mushrooms. The Agaricus genus will turn yellow when exposed to ...British Columbia's is the Pacific Golden Chanterelle (Cantharellus formosus). The Cascade Chanterelle (Cantharellus cascadensis) is similar, but has a whitish underside and stem and a yellow top. The Rainbow Chanterelle (Cantharellus roseocanus) is pinkish on top and yellow below. All are delicious with an oddly fruity flavor.Despite the challenges, mushroom identification has become an increasingly important skill as more people have taken to the woods in search of edible and medicinal species. As with plants, being able to identify mushrooms correctly is an extremely important skill if any amount of mushroom is to be used internally.When it comes to mushroom identification for the one hundred speciees of bolete mushrooms, comparing physical traits such as color and texture of the caps, pores and stems starts the process. In some instances, other field related identification clues help. The Admirable Bolete in the picture, for example, is a striking mushroom that grows on ...Agaricus dulcidulus: The Ultimate Mushroom Guide. Agaricus devoniensis: The Ultimate Mushroom Guide. Agaricus augustus: The Ultimate Mushroom Guide. List of brown mushrooms with descriptions, photos and other interesting information.The Mushroom Identification Forum. The Mushroom Identification Forum. ·. 202.2K members. This group a place to get your mushrooms identified. 1) Mushroom identification requests only. 2) Post only your own photos, unless asking a specific question related to an image. 3) No spam, off topic posts or dumb comments. ….

After collecting the mushroom, the identification process begins by determining which group it belongs to. First, inspect the underside of the cap. If it is covered in gills, which are narrow strips arranged radially around the stem, the mushroom belongs to the gilled mushroom group, which includes russulas, amanitas, and many others. Russula emetic is also commonly referred to as the sickener, emetic russula, or vomiting russula. The cap of this mushroom is between 2.5 to 8.5 cm (1.0 to 3.3 inches) in diameter with convex to flat shape and bright red to reddish-pink color. It is sometimes with a central depression or a shallow umbo.It offers a reliable way to identify mushrooms using photos and descriptions, making it a handy tool for beginners and experts alike. 9. Mushroom Identify – Automatic Picture Recognition. Mushroom Identify is all about the power of automatic picture recognition. Snap a photo, and the app will analyze it to identify the mushroom.The very last band on the outer rim of a fresh turkey tail cap is usually white, making it easier to identify from afar. As it ages, this whiteness may fade to cream or brown. Many look-alikes have an outer band that is brown, purple, or another color. It's important to note that you can't go on color alone when identifying turkey tail.Mushroom Identification Courses. 30 May, 2023. When Think Fungi first launched, it launched with two things: a community for mycophiles to interact, share and collaborate, and a mushroom identification course. Since then we have grown to include many courses, both in person and online, a mushroom marketplace, and more.Mushroom identification Armillaria. The mushrooms in this group typically grow on trees and woody debris, often appearing in clusters around the base. Click on the pictures to enlarge them, and click on the captions to see the details and additional pictures. Remember that comparing the mushroom's likeness to a photograph is not a sufficient ...35 Essential Wild Mushrooms Every Forager Should Know. Amanita Muscaria: A Poisonous, Hallucinogenic, Edible Mushroom. Giant Shaggy Parasols. Old Man of the Woods. Albino Mushrooms. Honey Truffles. …The Unlikely Force Behind a Push to Legalize ‘Shrooms’ in New York. Australian woman appears in court charged with poisoning husband and his relatives with mushrooms. The Church of The Eagle and the Condor Reaches a Settlement with Federal Agencies Affirming the Religious Right to Use Ayahuasca. Missoula man dies from foraged morels the ... Mushroom identification, A forum for mushroom ID. Off topic posts may be deleted. Rules: 1) ID REQUESTS ONLY 2) BE CIVIL 3) NO SPAM 4) NO BAD JOKES 5) NO OFF TOPIC COMMENTS 6) NO INCORRECT IDENTIFICATIONS 7) PLEASE..., Giant Puffball Mushroom Information and Cultivation. Primary Sidebar. Hi, I'm Jenny! I am a seasoned mushroom expert with over 10 years of experience in the field. My blog focuses on North American mushroom species. More about me →. Recent Guides: Jelly Antler Mushrooms: Identification and Lookalikes. A Comprehensive Guide to the Fairy Inkcap ..., The most common mushroom types include the versatile and mild White Button, the slightly richer Cremini, the large and meaty Portobello, and the woody-flavored Shiitake. …, Describing Mushrooms and Keeping a Journal. Many years of experience helping others (and myself) identify mushrooms have convinced me that the surest route to success is to keep a journal in which you carefully describe the mushrooms you find before you try to identify them with field guides, websites, or technical literature. It is a time-consuming process but it works best, since missing ..., Cap and Stem. The next step in understanding how to identify bolete mushrooms involves recognizing the mushroom's cap and stem characteristics. Bolete caps can vary in color, from brown and red to yellow and even blue. Their stems, often robust and sturdy, can be adorned with a network of net-like patterns, known as reticulation., Oyster Mushroom Identification. Pleurotus ostreatus, is a common edible known for its oyster-shaped cap. One of the first things you should look for when trying to identify this mushroom is the presence of decurrent gills. Decurrent means that the gills are attached to and run directly down the stem. Take a look at the close-up., As with all of these identification apps, you shouldn't rely on them solely, but if you're looking for the most information in terms of species diversity and location, this is one of (if not) the best. Find on Google Play Store. Find on Apple Store. 3. Mushroom Identify: Automatic. Rating (Out of 5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️., The late fall oyster mushroom earns its common name by being one of the last edible mushrooms to appear. Its arrival is a sign winter is on the way, and the fungi world is slowing down. The late fall oyster is widespread across North America but is predominantly found in northern or mountainous regions. This wild mushroom with the oyster name ..., Enokitake Mushroom. Enokitake, or enoki, mushrooms (Flammulina velutipes) are long and thin mushrooms with miniature caps and a long stem. They're white, cream or sometimes golden in color. If you can find enoki mushrooms, look for a firm and dry stem and clean caps. Avoid enoki mushrooms that are limp or wet., Deer mushrooms have long 2-5.25 inch long whitish stems that are usually covered in brown fibrous material. However, the stem may be just white or buff-tan colored. The base is slightly swollen or may be …, The Deadly Galerina is a LBM ("little brown mushroom"), a catchall term for a great many non-descript species. As such, it is a look-alike for all other LBMs, to a greater or lesser degree. These include edibles such as the various honey mushrooms (Armillaria sp.) and Enokitake (Flammulina velutipes), as well as many of the "magic ..., Agaricus Arvensis - the Horse Mushroom - is a popular edible mushroom. It stands out with its bright yellow cap and creamy white gills. Its scientific name roughly translated means "horse of the fields," likely referring to its cream-colored stems that closely resemble a horse's mane and tail. In addition to its unique appearance ..., Hedgehog Mushroom Identification. Hedgehog mushrooms are easily recognizable due to their distinctive features. These fungi typically have a convex to flat cap, which can range in color from pale beige to orange-brown. One of the most noteworthy attributes of the hedgehog mushroom is its underside, which is covered in long, tooth-like spines ..., Key Points on Chaga Mushroom identification. Harvestable Chaga is one stage in the life cycle of Inonotus obliquus fungus. It grows during fall and winter in cold regions on the bark of birch trees. It has a distinct rough, blackened exterior with deep crevices and ridges, and a golden-yellow woody interior., Another aspect of identifying wild mushrooms is to make spore prints of the mushrooms you find. Simply remove the stalk from the mushroom and place the cap and gills downward on a piece of white paper or glass. Place a large glass cup or jar upside down over the mushroom (to keep air from getting in)., Oyster Mushrooms. Identification Safety Rating 9 out of 10 Oyster Mushrooms get their name because of the wavy oyster shell like edge to the caps of the mature specimens, as you can see in the photo above. At this stage we consider them 100% safe for the novice forager. When young there are some lookalikes for the Oyster mushroom that you don ..., Learn to identify mushrooms. Familiarize yourself with the common edible and poisonous mushrooms found in Wisconsin. Invest in a good field guide or attend a local mushroom identification workshop. 2. Obtain permission. Always ask for permission before foraging on private property. Many public lands, such as state parks and forests, also have ..., You can search the mushroom database here based on the name or some property of the mushroom. Please enter the data in the text box below in order to perform the search. TIP: Enter only a part of the name and all mushrooms with a name that contain the search string are displayed. Try for example with "Boletus" and mushrooms in the boletus …, Mushrooms of Kentucky: Identification Field Guide to Common Wild Mushrooms in the East South-Central (Mushroom Field Guides) Part of: Mushroom Field Guides (50 books) 4. Paperback. $1299. FREE delivery Tue, Nov 7 on $35 of items shipped by Amazon., A forum for the discussion of wild mushroom hunting and identification. Be sure to read the Forum Rules before posting. While we make every effort to help identify mushrooms accurately, we claim no responsiblity for a mushroom misidentification. Remember that unidentified mushrooms should never be consumed, as consumption of certain mushrooms can result in death., Identification: This particular fungi is characterized by its red cap and stem. The cap measures about 2 inches when mature; starts off bell-shaped and eventually flattens when the mushroom matures. Its stipe is also red with a bright yellowish base. On the underside you’ll notice the well-spaced red-orange gills., Season with salt and pepper. Pour mixture into a greased pie dish. Place dish on a trivet inside camp oven. Then place camp oven in the hole with coals underneath. Pile coals up around the sides and some on the lid, so that it cooks evenly. Depending on the heat of the coals, it will take between 20–30 minutes to cook., 19 Black Mushrooms and Fungi (Identification And Edibility) Black mushrooms and fungi grow in woodlands, parks, gardens, and even on timber. Some species can have an all-black appearance while others are dominated by a dark black cap. Some of the most widespread species are found West of The Rocky Mountains in North America as well as in the ..., Key Points on Chaga Mushroom identification. Harvestable Chaga is one stage in the life cycle of Inonotus obliquus fungus. It grows during fall and winter in cold regions on the bark of birch trees. It has a distinct rough, blackened exterior with deep crevices and ridges, and a golden-yellow woody interior., Deadly Galerina Mushroom (Galerina marginata) Specifications: The Funeral Bell Mushroom has a honey yellow and brown cap, brown spores, tall and thick brown stems, cream gills. This type of mushroom grows from summer to fall in the United States, Ireland, and Britain. The Funeral Bell Mushroom can be found in yards in New York and the United ..., Death Cap Mushroom Identification Guide Death Cap's Appearance. The death cap mushroom is often mistaken for an edible mushroom due to its attractive appearance. Key features of the death cap include: Cap: The cap typically ranges from 5 to 15 centimeters in diameter, with a smooth texture. It can be yellowish-green to olive in color and may ..., The Haymaker Mushroom has a Brown cap, white spores, thin, small brown stalks, and brown gills. This type of mushroom grows from spring to early winter in Connecticut and the United States. It can also be found throughout the Northern Hemisphere of the world. The Haymaker Mushroom is the most common mushroom., Tricholoma sciodes: The Ultimate Mushroom Guide. Mycena pura: The Ultimate Mushroom Guide. Lepiota brunneoincarnata: The Ultimate Mushroom Guide. Clitocybe rivulosa: The Ultimate Mushroom Guide. Gyromitra esculenta: The Ultimate Mushroom Guide. The ultimate listing of wild poisonous mushrooms. Lots of pictures for easy …, 71 Cup Mushroom Identification With Pictures. Wynnea americana: The Ultimate Mushroom Guide. Urnula craterium: The Ultimate Mushroom Guide. Tarzetta cupularis: The Ultimate Mushroom Guide. Scutellinia umbrarum: The Ultimate Mushroom Guide. Scutellinia scutellata: The Ultimate Mushroom Guide., Oyster mushrooms are pretty easy to identify. In general, they are a shelf mushroom with a broad fleshy cap. The edges of the cap are enrolled, flattening out as the mushroom matures. The color of the cap can vary depending on species, but is usually tan to brown. Oyster mushrooms do not have a traditional stem, but more of a "pseudostem ..., The 18 Morel Mushroom Species of the United States. Elephant Ear False Morels: A Complete Guide To Identification and Edibility. The Hooded False Morel: Identification Guide. Oyster Mushroom: Identification, Foraging, and Cooking. Violet Toothed Polypores: Species and Identification Guide. Rooting Mushrooms of North America., A mushroom's surfaces—especially the cap and stem—can be slimy when the specimen is fresh, and the sliminess can be important in mushroom identification. The problem is, mushrooms frequently dry out quickly, making it hard to tell whether it was once slimy. One clue involves appressed, dried out forest litter stuck to the cap surface., Mushroom Identification. A real mushroom is in the shape of an umbrella with a cup-shaped or flat cap on top of a stalk. Spores are produced by a group of cells, called basidia, found on the underside of the mushroom cap. While mushrooms come in all shapes, sizes, and colors the general structure remains the same. These funny looking structures ...