How to identify Orange Bonnet

To correctly identify Orange Bonnet (Mycena leaiana), check each of these features in order. Misidentification is the most common cause of mushroom poisoning, so cross-reference multiple sources.

Step-by-step identification

1. 1

   Cap

   Shape, color, surface texture, and diameter.

   Bright orange, convex to slightly flattened, smooth, hygrophanous (changes color with moisture).

2. 2

   Gills

   Attachment to stem, color, and spacing.

   Adnate (attached to the stem), close, pale orange to orange-yellow.

3. 3

   Stem

   Length, shape, surface, and any ring.

   Slender, cylindrical, pale orange to whitish, smooth.

4. 4

   Flesh

   Color, texture, and bruising reaction.

   Thin, fragile, pale orange.

5. 5

   Fruiting body

   Overall growth pattern.

   Small, typically less than 2cm in diameter.

6. 6

   Habitat

   Where it grows and on what substrate.

   Decaying wood, often in clusters.

Key Facts

Cap surfaces

Smooth, hygrophanous

Growth Form

Clustered

Spore Print

White

Body color

Orange

Odor

Mild, slightly earthy

Flesh bruises

No significant color change

Height

2-5 cm

Cap Diameter

1-2 cm

Fruit body characteristics

• Gill attachment: Adnate
• Stem shape: Slender, cylindrical
• Stem surface: Smooth
• Ring: Absent
• Stem cross-section: Cylindrical

Explore Orange Bonnet