Gymnopilus punctifolius (Peck) Singer

About Gymnopilus punctifolius (Peck) Singer

The cap of Gymnopilus punctifolius starts convex before flattening out, growing to 2.5–10 cm (1–4 in) in diameter. Its color is dull purple-red, with tones that can range from bluish green to greenish yellow, olive, or brown. The cap surface is mostly smooth, except for a central fibrillose patch that sometimes appears on young specimens. The cap margin is initially curled inward, and often becomes wavy as the mushroom ages. The flesh is bitter-tasting, greenish-yellow, thick and firm, with no distinct odor. When young, the gills attach to the stipe in an attached to sinuate arrangement, and often become deeply emarginate — notched close to the stipe — as they mature. The gills are broad and closely spaced, with intervening short gills called lamellae. They start yellowish olive, and turn pinkish cinnamon as spores mature. The spore print of Gymnopilus punctifolius is reddish yellow. Spores are thin-walled, oval with small surface warts, and measure 4–6 by 3.5–5 μm. Clamp connections are present in the hyphae. This species is classified as inedible. Gymnopilus punctifolius fruits scattered or in groups on decaying coniferous wood, coniferous debris, and rich humus. It has been recorded in the US states of Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Wyoming, Michigan, Massachusetts, and New Mexico, and fruits between August and September.