About this fungus
Russet Toughshank is a fungus in the Omphalotaceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
A common small woodland mushroom with a smooth russet, tan or ochre cap and a slender, tough stem. It often grows in loose troops among leaf litter rather than directly from obvious wood.
What to check
Look for a tough fibrous stem without a ring, crowded white to cream gills that are attached or narrowly notched at the stem, and a white spore print. The stem base may be slightly swollen and covered with pale mycelium.
Variation
The cap is hygrophanous, becoming much paler as it loses moisture. Young moist caps may be rich reddish-brown, while dry or old mushrooms can be pale tan or cream, especially at the margin.
Lookalikes
Gymnopus aquosus and Gymnopus ocior are close members of the same difficult group and may need microscopic characters. Redleg Toughshank, Gymnopus erythropus, has a more distinctly red-brown stem. Many small brown woodland mushrooms overlap in colour, so the app should not imply that a photograph alone gives a secure species identification.
Habitat and range
Saprotrophic in leaf litter and humus in broad-leaved, mixed and conifer woodland. It is often abundant under oak but is not restricted to oak. The traditional name is sometimes applied broadly to a group of closely related species.
Food safety
Edible.
Use this profile to learn what to examine and compare, not as proof that a mushroom is safe to eat. Check the whole specimen and every important lookalike before reaching an identification.
Photographs
Bob (Bobzimmer) / CC BY-SA 3.0
Jason Hollinger / CC BY 2.0
Strobilomyces / CC BY-SA 3.0