Top 19 Most Common Mushrooms in Tasmania

The caps of Mycena interrupta range from 0.8 to 2 cm, and they are a brilliant cyan blue colour. They are globose when emergent and then become a broad convex as they mature, with the centre of the cap slightly depressed. The caps are often sticky and appear slimy looking, particularly in moist weather. The length of the stipe typically ranges from 1 to 2 cm long and 0.1 to 0.2 cm thick. It is white, smooth and the base of the stipe is attached to the wood substrate by a flat white disk, similar to Mycena austrororida, which, unlike M. interrupta is attached to the wood substrate by a mass of clumped fine hairs. The gills are white, adnexed, with blue margins. The spores are white, smooth, ellipsoid and have dimensions of 7-10×4-6 µm. Unlike some other Mycena species, Mycena interrupta is not bioluminescent.

Rooting shank has been known by over a dozen names throughout the years. Despite this identity crisis, this rooting shank is not difficult to recognize due to its distinctive long stem, much of which is often hiding in the soil. This mushroom can most frequently be found on stumps or deadwood beneath the ground.

The sulphur tuft grows on rotting wood of all types of trees; it is a particularly efficient decomposer of hardwoods. The mushrooms appear from spring to autumn and are often so tightly packed that they interfere with each other’s shape. This poisonous mushroom can cause temporary paralysis, distorted vision, and stomach pain if consumed.

Bitter oysterling(Panellus stipticus) is most often found growing on pieces of dead or decaying wood. Certain strands of this species are particularly notable for their bioluminescence, which is a rare but not unknown trait among the various species of fungi. Because it is small and bitter, this species is generally considered inedible.

Armillaria root disease (Armillaria novae-zelandiae) is a pathogen fungus of trees that causes great damage to forests of New Zealand. The species is also found in South America and DNA data suggest that the armillaria root disease was initially a Gondwana species.

A native of Australia and New Zealand, the vividly colored, deep red ruby bonnet (Cruentomycena viscidocruenta) appears in small groups on woody debris in autumn and winter. Its scientific name means “sticky-bloody” and this is a good description of how the fruitbodies appear when wet.

Buttery collybia mushrooms grow mainly on the floors of coniferous forests, from summer to winter across Europe and North America. This mushroom is called “buttery” not for its flavor, but rather the greasy texture of its surface. In the genus name, “rhodo” means pink, a reference to the shade of the gills beneath its cap.

Snow fungus (Tremella fuciformis) is so-named not because it is associated with winter, but, rather, because its fruitbodies look like little piles of snow fungus on the ground. This fungus actually inhabits very warm - tropical and subtropical - locations around the globe. Snow fungus does not have much taste, but it is cultivated for culinary use across East Asia, where it is often added to thicken soups and desserts.

The jelly baby (Leotia lubrica) has a very disgusting appearance, complete with a gooey cap of yellow or black and a slimy yellow stem. The cap is irregular in shape and is usually bulbous. The gelatinous texture and lack of flavor make this mushroom less than desirable for gathering; it is considered inedible.

It was first described in 2003 by the Australian mycologist Cheryl A. Grgurinovic, based on specimens found in New South Wales, Australia. The shape of the hat (pyro) is flared and brown, just like the stem. They are grouped between the litter and remains of dead wood of eucalyptus.