Fungus · GBIF taxon 2533674
Gymnopilus junonius
Gymnopilus junoniusAlso known as Spectacular Rustgill, Laughing Gym, Big Laughing Mushroom, Laughing Mushroom
Laughing Gyms emerge in dense, striking clusters from decaying hardwood stumps and buried roots. These massive, bright orange-yellow mushrooms develop thick caps and fibrous stems adorned with a distinct skirt-like ring. They play an essential ecological role as saprotrophs, breaking down tough lignin and returning vital nutrients to woodland soils.
FungusWood-DecayingToxic
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Dead Wood
- Lignin
- Cellulose
Predators
- Fungus Gnat Larvae
- Slugs
- Fungus Beetles
ThreatsRemoval of deadwood in managed forests
HabitatsDeciduous and coniferous forests, parks, and tree stumps
Life spanFruiting body lasts 1–3 weeks; mycelium lives for years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderAgaricales
- FamilyHymenogastraceae
- GenusGymnopilus
- SpeciesGymnopilus junonius
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Contains neurotoxins and gastrointestinal irritants; many wild fungi have toxic look-alikes, so never eat based on app identification alone.
- Why it is dangerous
- Contains neurotoxic chemicals and psychoactive alkaloids that cause hallucinations, severe gastrointestinal upset, and nausea.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Recognized by its large size, bright orange-yellow caps, rusty-orange spore print, and persistent stem ring.
- What to do
- Observe and photograph without consuming, as ingesting wild mushrooms poses serious toxicity risks.
Responsible observation
- Observation: Look for large, bright orange clusters growing at the base of hardwood stumps in autumn.
- Identification: Check for a rusty-orange spore print and a prominent ring on the upper stem.
- Safety: Never harvest or consume wild mushrooms without expert verification.
Look-Alike (c) Jason Hollinger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Look-Alike (c) Nathan Wilson, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
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