Omphalotus olearius

Morphological Features:

Pileus large, occasionally reaching up to 15 cm in diameter, bright orange in color, becoming somewhat brownish with age. Convex when young, eventually becoming infundibuliform, maintaining a very thin margin.

Lamellae similarly orange in color, markedly decurrent on the stipe, crowded and rather thin.

Stipe cylindrical and elongated, frequently eccentric and attenuated at the base, concolorous or somewhat paler than the pileus.

Flesh orange in color, rather fibrous and firm, without any particularly notable odor, and mild in taste.

Habitat:

Although once believed to be exclusive to olive trees, where it commonly grows, it also occurs in dense clusters and abundantly on the stumps of various broadleaf trees; we have located it on oak, beech, and holm oak stumps. Its fruiting season is summer and autumn.

Observations:

It is a highly toxic species, causing gastrointestinal distress with vomiting and diarrhea. It can be confused with Cantharellus Cibarius, which possesses ridges instead of lamellae and fruits on soil rather than wood. It is also confused with Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca, which is likewise terrestrial and smaller in stature. Very similar is Omphalotus illudens, which shares the same habitat but is more yellowish and has a mottled pileus.