Bolbitius titubans

Bolbitius titubans
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Agaricales
Family:	Bolbitiaceae
Genus:	Bolbitius
Species:	B. titubans
Binomial name
Bolbitius titubans (Bull.) Fr.
Synonyms
Bolbitius vitellinus(Pers.) Fr.

Bolbitius titubans
Mycological characteristics
	Gills on hymenium
	Cap is ovate or flat
	Hymenium is adnate or free
	Stipe is bare
	Spore print is brown
	Ecology is saprotrophic
	Edibility is edible, but unpalatable

Bolbitius titubans, also known as Bolbitius vitellinus, and commonly known as the sunny side up, ^{[1] [2]} is a widespread species of mushroom found in North America. It grows on grass and dung.

Description

The mushroom cap is 1.5–7 centimetres (1⁄2–3 in) across, ^[3] and grows from egg-shaped when young to broadly convex, finally ending up nearly flat. ^[4] The cap's color starts yellow or bright yellow, and fades to whitish or greyish with age. ^[5] The stem is 3–12 cm (1–4+1⁄2 in) tall and 2–6 millimetres (1⁄8–1⁄4 in) wide, ^[3] whitish-yellow with a fine mealy powdering, and very delicate. ^[6]

The fragile and soft gills are free from the stem or narrowly attached and fade from whitish or pale yellowish to rusty cinnamon with age. ^[4] They produce a rusty-brown spore print. ^[7] The spores are brown, elliptical, and smooth. ^[3]

Similar species

Similar species include Bolbitius aleuriatus , ^[3] B. coprophilus, B. lacteus, and Conocybe apala . ^[7]

Habitat and distribution

The species grows on grass, woodchips, compost, and dung. It is ubiquitous in North America ^[7] and Europe.

Edibility

The mushroom's edibility is unknown. ^[3] While nonpoisonous, ^[8] it is too small to be worthwhile. ^[3]

References

1. Arora, David (1986) [1979]. Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi (2nd ed.). Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press. pp. 474–75. ISBN   978-0-89815-170-1.
2. Siegel, Noah; Schwarz, Christian (September 1, 2024). Mushrooms of Cascadia: A Comprehensive Guide to Fungi of the Pacific Northwest. Humboldt County, CA: Backcountry Press. p. 150. ISBN   9781941624197.
3. Davis, R. Michael; Sommer, Robert; Menge, John A. (2012). Field Guide to Mushrooms of Western North America. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 248. ISBN   978-0-520-95360-4. OCLC   797915861.
4. Kuo, Michael (February 2012). "Bolbitius titubans" . Retrieved October 31, 2013.
5. "California Fungi—Bolbitius titubans" . Retrieved October 31, 2013.
6. "Rogers Mushrooms — Bolbitus vitellinus Mushroom". Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
7. Audubon (2023). Mushrooms of North America. Knopf. p. 628. ISBN   978-0-593-31998-7.
8. Miller Jr., Orson K.; Miller, Hope H. (2006). North American Mushrooms: A Field Guide to Edible and Inedible Fungi. Guilford, CN: FalconGuide. p. 270. ISBN   978-0-7627-3109-1.