Stats

Lifespan

A few days

Size

Small

Diet

Decomposer

Biome

Temperate forest

Range

North America

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Spores

Defense

Warning Colors

Status

Common

About

This bright orange fungus grows in dense, clustered groups on decaying hardwood logs. Its vibrant pigment acts as a natural shield that kills bacteria trying to colonize its surface.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   spore

   A microscopic spore drifts on air or water and germinates where moisture and substrate meet.
2. 2.
   mycelium

   A thread-like mycelium spreads through the substrate, breaking it down into nutrients.
3. 3.
   fruiting body

   A mature fruiting body emerges to release the next generation of spores.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Fungi

Phylum

Basidiomycota

Class

Agaricomycetes

Order

Agaricales

Family

Mycenaceae

Genus

Mycena

Species

Mycena leana