Species details
Lion shield
Pluteus leoninus
Traditionally edible
Photo: Joshua Hutchins (MycoMaven) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo source · License
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Description
A golden-yellow shield mushroom with a velvety cap, free gills and pink spore print.
Identification features
Cap 2–7 cm wide, conical-bell-shaped to flat, golden yellow with a somewhat darker centre. Gills are free, white at first and later pink.
Identification checklist
Check the golden-yellow velvety cap, free gills turning pink and growth directly on woody debris.
Detailed features
- Cap
- Cap 2–7 cm wide, conical-bell-shaped to flat, golden yellow with a somewhat darker centre.
- Hymenophore
- The gills are free, initially white and later pink.
Size
- Cap diameter
- 2–7 cm
Habitat
Grows on dead branches, stumps and wood fragments in deciduous and coniferous woodland in summer and autumn.
Fruiting period
June, July, August, September, October
Ecology
- Substrate
- Stumps
- Notes
- Grows on dead branches, stumps and wood fragments in deciduous and coniferous woodland in summer and autumn.
How to separate similar species
Yellow Pluteus species can be similar; free gills and microscopic characters matter in atypical specimens.
Similar species
- Pluteus aurantiorugosus
- Goldleaf shield (Pluteus romellii)
- Pluteus species