Menispermum canadense – Common Moonseed
Common moonseed (Menispermum canadense) is a perennial native vine that produces clusters of blue-black berries in the fall. It is a toxic look-a-like to grapes. Common moonseed grows in clearings of woodlands. It can be differentiated from grapes by its smooth leaves and lack of tendrils. Berries have a single crescent-shaped seed inside. Grapes have […]
Omphalotus illudens – Jack O’lantern
The Jack O’lantern mushroom (Omphalotus illudens) is the toxic look-a-like to edible chanterelles and chicken of the woods mushrooms. Jack o’lanterns fruit summer-fall on decaying hardwood and buried roots. They fruit in clusters with their stems often converging at their base. Jack o’lanterns can be identified by their pumpkin orange color and true gills which […]
Galerina marginata – Deadly Galerina
The Deadly Galerina (Galerina marginata) is the deadly toxic look-alike to edible honey mushrooms (Armillaria spp.) and enoki (Flammulina velutipes). The deadly galerina grows scattered or in small clusters on hardwood or conifer logs. It generally fruits June-October. The cap is orange-brown to dark brown and sticky. Gills are yellow, becoming rusty-brown with age. The […]