Eastern jack-o'-lantern mushroom (Omphalotus illudens): How to Recognise It

• Cap: Cap 3-20 cm, bright orange to pumpkin-orange; convex with a central bump at first, flattening with age.
• Gills: Decurrent gills (running down the stem), bright to pale orange; bioluminescent when fresh.
• Stem, ring and volva: Stem 3-13 cm, pale orange to orange, no ring.
• Spore print: White to creamy or pale yellow.
• Where and when it grows: Grows in clusters on stumps or buried roots of hardwoods (especially oaks); late summer to autumn.
• Range in North America: Widely distributed east of the Rocky Mountains in North America.

• chanterelle: The jack-o'-lantern usually grows in dense clusters with true gills, on wood; chanterelles have false gills, rarely grow in dense clusters, and usually grow directly from the ground.

Toxin: illudin (illudin s / illudin m). Severity: serious poisoning. A delayed start is the dangerous part: hours without symptoms do not mean the mushroom was harmless.

Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (U.S.) right away, or your local emergency number. Keep any leftover mushroom, a photo of it, and note when it was eaten. Do not wait for symptoms and do not try home remedies. This page does not give medical advice.

A clear photo of the whole mushroom, including the base dug out of the ground, the gills and a spore print, lets the app and a mycologist narrow down what it might be and flag features that match Eastern jack-o'-lantern mushroom. No photo, app or website can confirm that a wild mushroom is safe to eat. Use identification to know what to avoid, not what to cook.