Top 20 Most Common Mushrooms in Sonora
Most Common Mushrooms
1. False parasol
Though the false parasol appears unassuming, the species is famous—or, infamous—for its toxicity. It looks unfortunately similar to Agericus campestrus, a commonly eaten mushroom, but the false parasol can be distinguished by its highly unusual green spore print. Although they are no good to eat, they can be pretty to look at. The species may grow in ring-shaped groups in meadows and on forest floors in what are sometimes called "fairy circles."
2. Desert shaggy mane
As its name suggests, the desert shaggy mane (Podaxis pistillaris) erupts from seemingly improbably conditions, out of the hot and arid ground in North American deserts. They are commonly found living harmoniously with colonies of termites in termite mounds. The desert shaggy mane is toxic and not safe to consume.
3. Southern jack o'lantern
As the name implies, the Southern jack o'lantern is not only a striking pumpkin-like orange color, but it also has the ability to glow in the dark — resembling carved Halloween jack o'lanterns with candles in them. This phenomenon that the southern jack o'lantern produces is called bioluminescence and is most evident at the peak of spore production.
4. Split gill
Split gill(Schizophyllum commune) can be found across the globe. Uniquely, it is the only mushroom species known to display the capability to retract by movement. It is considered inedible, although not necessarily toxic. Furthermore, it is not recommended to smell this species, as the spores are capable of sprouting and growing in nasal passages.
5. Fly agaric
In Northern Asia and Europe, fly agaric grows under trees near the winter solstice and is collected for ritual use tied to the season. Its characteristic shape and coloring are still ubiquitous in many European fairy tale illustrations and Christmas traditions. It is highly toxic.
6. Bright cobblestone lichen
7. Montagnea arenaria
The cap of montagnea arenaria (Montagnea arenaria) has tough skin that acts as a shield to protect its dark spores until they are mature. Although the cap is rigid, it is commonly found looking tattered and weather-worn, almost fringe-like. Unlike many other mushrooms, they thrive in arid areas and are seen in deserts and other places with very little rainfall.
8. Battarreoides diguetii
9. Common fieldcap
Easily confused with other small, brown mushrooms, the common fieldcap is one of few that grows in springtime in various countries around the world. It appears in groups in pasture land, lawns, and other open, grassy areas. And there are many poisonous mushrooms that look extremely similar.
10. Shaggy mane
The shaggy mane mushroom is commonly found in North American and European grasslands. Some peoples foraged for its young egg-shaped caps, but it has more recently been found to be a bioaccumulator of heavy metals, meaning it pulls toxic metals up from the soil where it grows. As a result, shaggy manes should not be eaten. The mushrooms usually appear in clusters or “fairy rings.”
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