Jack O'Lantern
Omphalotus illudens (Schwein.) Bresinsky & Besl
Also called: Jack O Lantern, Eastern American Jack-o'-lantern
Safety first
This mushroom is listed as poisonous. Eating it can make you seriously ill.
Many edible mushrooms have toxic lookalikes, and some of those can be fatal. Have any mushroom identified in person by a local expert before you eat it.
If someone may have eaten a wild mushroom, call US Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or 911 right away. In Canada, call your provincial poison centre or 911.
Edibility
Poisonous Source: Wikipedia: Omphalotus illudens
Classification from Wikipedia: Omphalotus illudens. Sources can be wrong or incomplete, and people react differently.
Never eat a wild mushroom based on this site or any app.
Photos
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Photo: wiregrasser. CC-BY. Source (inaturalist) -
Photo: floatingturkey. CC-BY. Source (inaturalist) -
Photo: floatingturkey. CC-BY. Source (inaturalist) -
Photo: Ben Gruhot. CC-BY. Source (inaturalist)
Lookalikes
No lookalikes are recorded for this species yet. That does not mean there are none. Many mushrooms look alike, so never rely on appearance alone.
Season
When this species has been recorded, by month, from open-licensed US and Canada observations. It shows when people report it, not a guarantee it is fruiting.
The highlighted bar is the current month.
View season data as a table
| Month | Records |
|---|---|
| January | 12 |
| February | 5 |
| March | 3 |
| April | 2 |
| May | 24 |
| June | 74 |
| July | 298 |
| August | 595 |
| September | 542 |
| October | 374 |
| November | 39 |
| December | 14 |
Where it is found
States and provinces with the most records. Check the foraging rules for the place you plan to visit.
- Pennsylvania 304 records · Foraging rules
- New York 184 records · Foraging rules
- Ohio 161 records · Foraging rules
- Virginia 115 records · Foraging rules
- Illinois 114 records · Foraging rules
- Maryland 107 records · Foraging rules
- North Carolina 103 records · Foraging rules
- West Virginia 74 records · Foraging rules
- Tennessee 64 records · Foraging rules
- New Jersey 52 records · Foraging rules
- Massachusetts 46 records · Foraging rules
- Indiana 44 records · Foraging rules
- Michigan 42 records · Foraging rules
- Ontario 39 records · Foraging rules
- Kentucky 37 records · Foraging rules
Show 25 more
- Wisconsin28 records
- Maine27 records
- Missouri26 records
- Connecticut24 records
- Minnesota22 records
- Iowa20 records
- Florida19 records
- Georgia19 records
- Vermont19 records
- District of Columbia19 records
- California13 records
- Quebec12 records
- Texas11 records
- Alabama9 records
- Delaware7 records
- New Hampshire7 records
- Arkansas6 records
- South Carolina6 records
- Louisiana5 records
- Nova Scotia5 records
- Kansas3 records
- Arizona2 records
- New Brunswick2 records
- Rhode Island2 records
- Oregon1 records
Identification traits
| Cap shape | infundibuliform |
|---|---|
| Underside (gills, pores or teeth) | gills |
| Ecology | saprotrophic |
| Stem features | bare |
| Spore print color | yellow |
Traits vary. Use them to ask better questions of an expert, not to make a final call.
About
Omphalotus illudens, commonly known as the eastern jack-o'lantern mushroom, is a North American species of fungus.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the original article.
Never eat a wild mushroom based on this site or any app. See safety basics and the disclaimer.