The Illinois Mycological Association is a group of fungal enthusiasts that meets frequently to learn about fungi through talks presented by experts, and to look for, identify and document wild fungi. We host monthly meetings with invited speakers, mycologist-led surveys to gather and document fungi, and an annual show at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
We welcome you to attend and learn more about fungi and the wild mushrooms of Illinois and the Chicago region.
August Mushroom of the Month: Orange Glass Cups // Orbilia xanthostigma
Orbilia xanthostigma are tiny hardwood decomposers that grow in clusters of large numbers spring through fall. They’re often overlooked due to their tiny size (up to 1/8") and are sometimes mistaken for other tiny disc fungi such as Calycina citrina (Lemon Discos). If you look closely, you’ll see that Orbilia xanthostigma are semi-translucent, reminiscent of stained glass, and have more of an orange tone and waxy feel. This beautiful batch was found by IMA Survey Chair DJ growing alongside some saprotrophic discs of Mollisia cinera cf. (grey disco), which you can see in the lower right corner.
Text by Liz Weinstein, image by Danielle "DJ" Jones
Join your local mushroom club
Video by the Illinois Mycological Association.
Speakers: Patrick Leacock, Tom Volk, and Britt Bunyard.
Video created by James Strzelinski, Spiel.
Members of the Illinois Mycological Association post their mushroom photos to iNaturalist to record fungal diversity for the Chicago Region. Mycologist Patrick Leacock reviews a selection of recent observations organized by his Top Ten Lists of most common macro-fungi.
