Pholiota polychroa is highly variable in appearance and its cap shows a rare color display - it can feature many colors, from purplish and olive-green to blue-green, grass-green and yellow. The species is saprobic, meaning it feeds on decomposing wood. Pholiota polychroa prefers hardwood trees and rarely conifers.
Cap Diameter:
2 - 10 cm
Odor:
Mildly mushroomy, not distinctive.
In This Article
Attributes
Similar Species
Tips for Finding
Clean and Preserve
Common Questions
General Info About Pholiota polychroa
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Attributes of Pholiota polychroa
Cap Diameter
2 - 10 cm
Height
3 - 8 cm
Cap
Cap 2 - 10 cm; convex, becoming broadly convex, broadly bell-shaped, or nearly flat; variable in color but usually mottled with shades of olive and pinkish purple when young, developing yellowish to orangish areas with maturity; sticky or slimy; at first with scattered veil remnants but often soon bald overall; the margin usually hung with veil remnants
Cap Shape
Convex, Bell-shaped, Flat
Cap Surfaces
Slimy or slightly sticky
Gills
Attached to the stem, often by means of a notch; close or crowded; whitish to yellowish or slightly purplish when young, becoming grayish brown to purplish brown
Gill Attachment
Notched
Stem
Stem 2 - 6 cm long, up to 1 cm thick; usually yellow to yellowish, sometimes whitish, bluish, greenish or brownish; dry, or sticky near the base, silky near the apex, often covered with scales or veil patches below
Stem Shapes
Cylindrical
Stem Surfaces
Scaly
Flesh
Whitish to yellow or greenish
Ring
Flimsy
Ring
With Ring Zone
Spore Print Color
Brown, dark brown, slightly purplish brown
Odor
Mildly mushroomy, not distinctive.
Body Color
Brown
Green
Yellow
Orange
Purple
Pink
Growth Form
Solitary, Gregarious
Nutrient Gathering
Saprophytic
Substrate
Dead Woods
Occurence Habitats
Deciduous Woodland
Species Status
Widely distributed east of the Great plains, apparently a little more common in the southeastern United States
Endangered Species
No
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Habitat of Pholiota polychroa
Pholiota polychroa prefers environments with decaying hardwood debris, often found in forested areas with sufficient organic matter.
