About this fungus
Ringless Honey Fungus is a fungus in the Physalacriaceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
Dense clusters of honey-brown caps with small darker scales, pale gills and no stem ring.
What to check
Confirm a white spore print and clustered growth from wood or buried roots. Check every stem for the genuine absence of a ring and inspect the cap scales.
Variation
Caps fade as they dry and stems darken downward. Buried roots can make a wood-growing cluster appear terrestrial.
Lookalikes
North American ringless honey mushrooms are now often called Desarmillaria caespitosa. Armillaria species usually have rings. Deadly Galerina has a rusty-brown spore print.
Habitat and range
A decomposer and sometimes pathogen on broad-leaved trees, often around oak and other hardwood roots. Modern work shows that regional lineages need care.
Food safety
Edibility is uncertain or disputed.
Photographs
Photo: Piermario Maculan · CC0 1.0