Top 20 Edible Mushrooms Popular in College

The fan- or spoon-shaped fruit bodies of S. flavida may be up to 8 cm (3.1 in) high, although a range between 2–5 cm (0.8–2.0 in) is more typical. Occasionally, fruit bodies are produced with the "head" split into two separate lobes. The color is light to strong yellow, the flattened fertile area at times paler; the color tends to deepen with the age of the fruit body. The fertile area (the region that produces spores) is often irregularly wrinkled and sometimes notched at apex, and is up to 2 cm (0.8 in) wide; it tapers down the length of either side of the stem (i.e., decurrently) from a half to a third of the total stem length. The division between the head and the stem is sharply defined. The stem is hollow, smooth (glabrous), and has a white to yellowish mycelium at its base. The flesh of the fruit body is whitish, but becomes yellowish-brown when dry. The edibility of Spathularia flavida is variously described as untested, unknown, or "edible, but rather tough". The small size would likely discourage table use. The odor and taste are not distinctive.

Larch bolete is a vibrant member of the "slippery jack" genus. Like other members of that family, this species sports a slick or slimy cap and has a somewhat bulbous form. Suillus grevillei is also commonly called a "Larch Bolete" because it only associates with larch trees, with which it has a symbiotic relationship.

Pearly powdercap gives off a moldy or earthy scent. It typically grows in the litter below conifer trees but has paradoxically also been found on the treeless Macquarie Island in the Antarctic Ocean. Pearly powdercap has a tendency to accumulate metals - and cadmium in particular - from its environment, leading researchers to evaluate its potential for environmental restoration work.

The western giant puffball is the largest puffball in North America, reaching up to 70 cm in diameter. It is as large as its European counterpart the Giant puffball (Calvatia gigantea), although it features a more irregular shape than its European cousin.

This rare mushroom’s claim to fame comes from the remarkable yellow scales scattered over an otherwise ivory fruitbody. However, not every specimen of the gold-flecked woodwax (Hygrophorus chrysodon) species boasts these brightly-colored speckles. Examples of this species can usually be found under conifers.

You may not be particularly surprised to learn that the orange birch bolete (Leccinum versipelle) is an orange-capped bolete that commonly associates with birch trees. The species has a classic bolete form, boasting a large, bulbous cap, a thick, shaggy stalk, and a sponge-like pore surface. When cut and exposed to air, the flesh of this mushroom will turn blue.

The early morel can be found in wooded areas of North America, Asia, and Europe. It is called the Early morel because it is one of the first mushrooms to emerge early in spring. It is distinctive for its wrinkled and thimble-like cap.

The tuberous polypore is a soft-bodied polypore that can be found growing on dead hardwood boles or branches across temperate North America. Sporting a brown or cinnamon cap and a pale stalk, Polyporus tuberaster mushrooms are nondescript and may be confused with several other species.

The cap is 5 to 10 centimetres (2.0 to 3.9 in) in diameter. It is known to vary in colour, and can be various shades of green, brown, or ochre. It is initially round, flattening with age, and laters develops a depression. The white stem is firm, browning, and gives a salmon reaction when rubbed with ferrous sulphate. The gills are adnexed, and white giving a spore print of the same colour.