Top 20 Most Common Mushrooms in Leiria

1. Red cage

The red cage is a highly distinctive mushroom with a wild shape, even for a stinkhorn. Its fruitbody grows as a hollow, latticed structure, usually red or pinkish in color, that gives it the appearance of a rubber or plastic children's toy. A true stinkhorn, this species secretes a pungent-smelling slime that attracts flies - but repels humans!

2. Tree lungwort

Tree lungwort is a green lichen that can be found in humid areas of North America, Europe, and Asia. It grows regularly on trees, rocks, and in urban areas rich with moss. It can be used as a dye. Animals may consume tree lungwort or use it as nesting material.

3. 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.

4. Parasol

Found in clearings and grassy areas in late summer, the wild parasol mushroom has a snakeskin-patterned stem. The brown spots on its cap make it look a bit shaggy, but that name is reserved for its poisonous counterpart, the Shaggy Parasol (Chlorophyllum rhacodes). You can distinguish the two by the stems: the latter has a smooth stem and red flesh inside.

5. Hairy curtain crust

This clustered, overlapping fungus is found all over the world, and is considered native across both the northern and southern hemispheres. Both its common name, hairy curtain crust, and its scientific name, Stereum hirsutum, aptly describe its most obvious features: it is quite tough (stereum) and the younger fruitbodies are notably hairy (hirsutum).

6. Common orange lichen

Common orange lichen was selected in 2006 by the United States Department of Energy as a model for genomic sequencing. Its widespread dispersal and bright yellow-orange color give the lichen its common name. It is primarily found growing on rocks, walls, and tree bark.

7. Big sheath mushroom

These large white mushrooms bloom all over cleared, harvested fields, as well as pastures and roadsides. The scientific species name comes from Greek words meaning “glue” (glioio) and “head” (cephalus), in reference to the sticky surface of this mushroom’s cap. The big sheath mushroom looks so similar to the poisonous Deathcap and Destroying Angel mushrooms that it should always be left alone.

8. Chicken of the woods

Chicken of the woods is very noticeable in hardwood forests, appearing in clusters on standing tree trunks in bright orange and yellow hues that sometimes last through the entire winter. It is a parasite that causes an unfortunate brown heart rot, and is considered a particularly troublesome pest of Yew trees. If the fruitbodies can be seen, the tree is likely already beyond saving.

9. Common greenshield lichen

The common greenshield lichen is a familiar species in temperate forests around the world. It can be found growing on rock outcroppings and trees in a wide variety of habitats. Individuals can grow to be quite large and may be gregarious, forming large mats or sheets on suitable surfaces. Like other lichens, the common greenshield lichen will shrivel and harden when moisture is scarce.

10. Turkey tail

The distinctively-striped turkey tail fungus grows on stumps and logs all over the forests of the northern hemisphere. It is, in fact, probably the most common species you will find. That doesn't mean this mushroom is plain, however; each cap is uniquely patterned. Look for bands of alternating textures as well as color.

11. 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.

12. Jack-o'-lantern

The jack-o'-lantern (Omphalotus olearius) lives up to its nickname in more ways than one. Not only are the caps often large, round, and as orange as pumpkins, but at night these mushrooms even glow. In the darkness, their bioluminescent gills can be seen emitting a spooky green light. In fitting with the scary theme, this fungus is also extremely poisonous.

13. Redlead roundhead

This colorful mushroom grows most commonly on woodchip mulch and in sandy pine forests of coastal areas around the world. The redlead roundhead is believed to have originated in Australia. It may look pretty enough to eat, but don’t; it is bitter, toxic, non-digestible, and likely to cause an upset stomach.

14. Dead man's hand

Sometimes referred to as a "false Truffle", a trained eye could not easily mistake the dead man's hand for these highly-valued mushrooms. This large puffball-like mushroom develops in the ground, emerging gradually until it finally cracks up and forms a star-shaped fruiting body. The dead man's hand is considered toxic and newbie mushroom hunters should be careful not to confuse it with edible puffballs.

15. Oakmoss

Evernia prunastri grows shrubby on trees. The yellow-green lichen grows up to 10 cm. It consists of up to five millimeters wide shrubby branched bands with a light underside. At the edges of these open dusty (Sorale). Apothecias (with shiny brown disc) are rarely formed.

16. White saddle

The white saddle (Helvella crispa) is a highly distinctive species that can be found growing in the temperate woodlands of Europe and eastern North America. Sporting a fluted stalk that vaguely resembles a buttressed cedar trunk, as well as an irregular cap that may be brain-like or lumpy inn appearance, it'd be hard to mistake the white saddle for another species. Given conflicting reports about its edibility, it's better to visually admire - rather than eat - this strange mushroom.

17. Witch's hat

Witch's hat mushrooms appear after summer and autumn rains, popping up in groups across fields, grasslands, and roadsides, particularly in places where the soil quality is poor. Catch them quickly to see bright orange or red colors, as the caps quickly turn jet black. They remain standing for several weeks in that glossy, stately form. Witch's hat is reported to be poisonous.

18. Upright coral

This pale-colored coral fungus grows from buried wood, particularly Beech or conifers. Its scientific name, Ramaria stricta, means “possessing many upright branches,” which is indeed a good description of its appearance. Upright coral fungus is inedible, and some of its lookalikes are even poisonous.

19. Gemmed amanita

This toxic mushroom may be found growing in landscaping near pine trees or in hardwood-conifer forests. It appears in temperate zones around the northern hemisphere during summer and fall. The gemmed amanita is poisonous and can cause muscle tremors and gastric upset if consumed.

20. Ochre spreading tooth

The ochre spreading tooth is a crust fungus that resembles a polypore fungus from a distance, but unlike polypores that have tubes on their undersides, this fungus has tiny, tightly-packed spines. It is an important decomposer of dead trees, as it decomposes the woody debris in order to gain nutrients.

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