Red Dermocybe     Section

This is a key to gilled mushrooms, that is, mushrooms having a definite cap with a fertile surface consisting of gills. The fruiting body usually also has a stem, although that may be lateral or absent (usually, then, the mushroom is growing from wood). You can use this key to identify mushrooms that you find.

Fruiting body containing fibers (usually in the stalk)

Gills not free
Spore print tan, orange, deep ochre, yellowish olive, olive brown, rusty or cinnamon brown or deep brown
Ring usually either absent or not membranous

Growing on the ground

With a cobwebby partial veil called a cortina
Stem often much wider at the base
Spore print usually rusty brown or cinnamon brown

Not sticky anywhere
Cap not hygrophanous
Cap usually less than 3" across
Fruiting body petite
Bright, water-soluble yellow, olive, red or orange pigmentation somewhere on the fruiting body

Diagnosis

• Red coloration somewhere on the fruiting body

Narrow down your identification:

Entire fruiting body very intense bright or dark red
Cap up to 2 1/2" across, scurfy, unchanging with KOH
Growing with all kinds of trees, but favoring hardwoods, and especially oak and beech

Entire fruiting body very intense bright or dark red
Cap up to 2 1/2" across, scurfy, changing color to rose and then to purple with KOH
Growing with all kinds of trees, but favoring hardwoods, and especially oak and beech

Entire fruiting body very intense bright or dark red
Cap up to 2" across, scurfy
Growing exclusively with conifers, usually in moss

Cap up to 2" across; yellowish brown
Gills rich red
Stalk yellowish

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