Mushrooms That 'Smell'
IMPORTANT NOTE
This resource is posted without warranty as to absolute taxonomic determination. In other words, it is possible that I have mislabelled a mushroom here! I am always grateful for corrections (contact me at mycology@aol.com).
DO NOT use these photos as a tool for safe identification of edible wild mushrooms—use resources that are designed for that purpose:
Edible Wild Mushrooms of North America
America's Best, Safest Edible Wild Mushrooms
Identifying mushrooms requires paying close attention to detail, and one of the most interesting characters used is odor. Some mushrooms have very unusual odors, and here we take a look at some examples.
Keep in mind that while many mushrooms' odors are very strong, in some cases it's more subtle. Crushing a little bit of the mushroom's cap helps bring out its odor.
Amanita brunnescens, often called the Cleft-footed Amanita, usually has an odor of raw potatoes (it is often necessary to sniff a crushed sample).
The Citron Amanita (Amanita citrina) also has the raw potato odor.
Marasmius scorodonius is one of a number of different species of small, gilled mushrooms with an odor of garlic.
Cystoderma amianthinum var. rugosoreticulatum has an odor that's distinctly similar to green corn.
Nolanea conica smells a lot like chlorine bleach.
The Orange Mock Oyster (Phyllotopsis nidulans) has an unpleasant odor that's often compared to rotten cabbage.
The delicious Golden Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) has a fruity fragrance somewhat similar to that of apricots.
The Black Trumpet (Craterellus cornucopioides and C. fallax) also boast a very nice fruity-fragrant aroma.
The tree parasite commonly called the Northern Tooth Mushroom (Climacodon septentrionale) often has an odd and unpleasant odor reminiscent of bad ham.
Most Stinkhorn mushrooms such as the Stinky Squid (Pseudocolus fusiformis) have a strong unpleasant odor similar to rotting flesh.
These are just a few of the many mushrooms with distinctive odors. I'll add more as time and photographic opportunities (plus I have a bunch of 35mm slides yet to scan to add to my pages) permit.
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