Western Jack-O'-Lantern

Omphalotus olivascens

Also known as: Western Jack-o'-lantern Mushroom · California Jack O' Lantern · Western American jack-o'-lantern

Fungi

UNCOMMON

Stats

Lifespan: A few weeks
Size: Medium
Diet: Decomposer
Biome: Temperate woodland
Range: Western North America
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Spores
Defense: Toxins
Status: Uncommon

About

A vivid orange, funnel-shaped mushroom that grows in dense clusters at the base of oak trees along the California coast. Its gills faintly glow a dim green in total darkness, a trait that earns it the 'jack-o'-lantern' name.

Life cycle

1.
spore
A microscopic spore drifts on air or water and germinates where moisture and substrate meet.
2.
mycelium
A thread-like mycelium spreads through the substrate, breaking it down into nutrients.
3.
fruiting body
A mature fruiting body emerges to release the next generation of spores.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Omphalotaceae
Genus: Omphalotus
Species: Omphalotus olivascens