Sulfur Tuft Naematoloma fasciculare

Sulfur Tuft is a mushroom commonly found in forests or natural areas, often in dense clusters of 20 to 30 fruiting bodies. It is a saprophyte, meaning that it lives on dead organic matter and lacks chlorophyll. As a result, these mushrooms can be found on rotting logs and stumps of various tree species or on buried wood. The genus name, means 'mushrooms with threads'. The species name comes from the Latin for bundles or clusters in reference to its habit of growing in groups.

The presence of these mushrooms in clumps on dead organic matter makes this species rather easy to identify. While there are several related species of mushroom that are edible, Sulfer Tuft is not among them and should be avoided. It has a very bitter taste and is poisonous. Great care should be taken in identifying these related species.

Quick ID:

• CAP: Yellow, orange or green tinged with yellow, smooth, up to 3 inches in diameter.
• GILLS: Attached to the stalk, green and yellow becoming more purple as spores mature.
• STALK: Thin (up to 1/3 inch thick), yellow becoming more brown.
• ANNULUS: Thin and fibrous leaving only a fibrous zone on the stalk.
• SPORE PRINT: Purple-brown.
• TASTE: Very bitter.