Top 20 Most Common Toxic or Poisonous Mushrooms in Waunakee

The jack-o'lantern mushroom is so-called because of its bright orange color, and because it often appears in the fall (usually before Halloween, though). This vibrant little mushroom can be found growing on decaying hardwood stumps and logs. The species does have some superficial resemblances to the highly edible chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius), but it is toxic and should be avoided!

With an appearance similar to a crusty potato, the common earthball blooms from acidic soils, including compacted paths on the forest floor. It matures to a yellowish tinge and is found across the northern hemisphere. It is a close cousin to bolete mushrooms but is considered to be poisonous and is never eaten.

The yellow patches is a gorgeous, striking species with a deep marigold or vermillion cap that sometimes appears as a blend of the two. Like some other members of the Amanita genus, it also sports patchy white worts - when it's cap is still very convex, it somewhat resembles the famous white and red mushrooms from the Mario Bros video games. While beautiful to look at, this species is toxic and should not be harvested.

The stinking dapperling is a small, delicate mushroom that is relatively nondescript in appearance - however, as its name suggests, it does have a powerful odor. The species is a habitat generalist, popping up in woodlands, gardens, lawns, and abandoned lots. The stinking dapperling also boasts a global distribution, being found across temperate areas of North America, Europe, Asia and the Antipodes.

During the reproductive phase of its life cycle, Spinellus fusiger grows throughout the cap of the mushroom host, eventually breaking through to produce radiating reproductive stalks (sporangiophores) bearing minute, spherical, terminal spore-containing structures called sporangia. Ultimately, the spores in the sporangia are released after the breakdown of the outer sporangial wall, becoming passively dispersed to new locations via wind, water, and insects. The sporangia contain non-motile mitospores known as aplanospores. Like other Spinellus species, S. fusiger is homothallic, a condition where sexual zygospores can be produced union of branches from the same mycelium and so can be produced by the growth from a single spore.

The mower's mushroom, also referred to as the lawnmower's mushroom, is so named because it frequently crops up in lawns. The species is rather nondescript, and it is considered a member of the infamously hard-to-distinguish "Little Brown Mushroom" (LBM) family. While the mower's mushroom is not known to be toxic to humans or dogs, several of these close look-alikes are.

The lilac bonnet is common around the northern hemisphere in woodlands of all types, and can sometimes also be seen in grasslands. It is toxic to humans due to its muscarine content, a poison that can cause convulsions and death after ingestion.

The rufous rubber cup is a tiny, cup-shaped, reddish-brown mushroom that commonly grows on twigs and fallen branches. The species is considered inedible, and its modest look almost certainly wouldn't attract anyone to consume it.

The black bulgar is an unusual fungus that looks a bit like black gumdrops. While some authorities classify it in an "unknown edibility" group, others claim it's a poisonous mushroom. Either way, its unappealing appearance surely makes it an easy choice not to consume the black bulgar.

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."