Poisonous mushroom
Jack o'lantern mushroom: the glowing orange look-alike of chanterelles
Jack o'lantern mushrooms are bright orange and grow in big clusters on stumps and buried roots in late summer and fall. They are not usually deadly, but they cause hours of severe vomiting, and people pick them thinking they are chanterelles.
How to tell it
- Bright orange to pumpkin orange all over, including the gills.
- Grows in tight clusters from wood: stumps, the base of trees, or roots under the soil (often oak).
- Sharp, knife-edged gills that run down the stem.
- Fresh gills can give off a faint green glow in full darkness, which is how it got its name.
Where you find it
Hardwood forests, yards with old stumps, and parks across the eastern US; a western relative grows in California under oaks.
Scientific name: Omphalotus illudens and relatives
Look-alikes
Chanterelles grow singly or scattered from soil, not in tight clumps on wood, and under the cap they have blunt, forked ridges instead of sharp gills.
Orange shelves on wood with no gills at all, just tiny pores underneath.
Why it is dangerous
Poisoning brings strong cramps, vomiting and diarrhea a few hours after eating, which can dehydrate children and older people badly. People pick it by mistake because its color and season match chanterelles.
What to do
- Call the Poison Help line if anyone ate a wild orange mushroom.
- Give small sips of water if they are vomiting, and get medical care for signs of dehydration (dizziness, little urine, a very dry mouth).
- Keep a sample for identification.
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Sources
Written in our own words from these public sources.