Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Strophariaceae
Genus: Leratiomyces
Species: L. ceres
Binomial name: Leratiomyces ceres
Synonyms: Agaricus squamosus f. aurantiacus, Hypholoma aurantiaca, Hypholoma aurantiacum, Naematoloma aurantiaca, Naematoloma aurantiacum, Psilocybe aurantiaca, Psilocybe ceres, Stropharia aurantiaca, Stropharia percevalii var. aurantiaca, Stropharia squamosa var. aurantiaca, Stropholoma aurantiacum
Common name: Chip cherries, Redlead Roundhead
Leratiomyces ceres is a poisonous, saprobic mushroom which has a bright red to orange cap and dark purple-brown spore deposit. It is a landscaping "import" usually found growing gregariously on wood chips and in lawns. It is one of the most common and most distinctive mushrooms found in that habitat. It is common in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere.
It has a bright red to brick red cap (>6 cm in diameter) which is broadly bell-shaped, it flattens with age. The cap surface is usually dry but can be slightly viscid when moist. The gills which are attached to the stem are white to pale grey at first, later becoming a darker purple/brown or purplish grey with whitish edges.
Leratiomyces ceres stipe is whitish, often with dark orange stains in age (most evident around the base), >8 cm long, >1 cm wide, equal to slightly larger at the base, which often has pale yellowish mycelium attached. The veil is thin and leaves a fragile ring, sometimes not present with age. The stalk is smooth above the ring and has tiny scales below, which often wash off in rain.
A mature cap.
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
