Species · GBIF taxon 2533962
Sheathed Woodtuft
Kuehneromyces mutabilisAlso known as Changeable Pholiota, Two-toned Pholiota, Two-toned Woodtuft
Sheathed woodtufts are highly gregarious wood-decaying fungi that sprout in dense, overlapping clusters on decaying broadleaf logs and stumps. Their hygrophanous caps change color dramatically as they dry, transitioning from a deep, watery cinnamon brown to a pale, honey-yellow center. The stems feature a distinct cottony ring, below which the surface is covered in dark, recurved scales.
Wood-decayingHygrophanousCluster-forming
- diet
- Saprotrophic (decomposing dead hardwood)
- family
- Strophariaceae
- threats
- Habitat loss and intensive forestry that removes deadwood
- life Span
- Mycelium lives for decades; individual mushrooms last 1 to 2 weeks
NE
Many edible mushrooms have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild fungi based on app identification alone.
This species strongly resembles the deadly poisonous funeral bell (Galerina marginata), which contains lethal amatoxins.
Never harvest or handle for consumption; observe safely on the wood without disturbing the delicate stem features.- Examine the stem: Look for the distinct ring and the dark, recurved scales below it to help distinguish it from deadly look-alikes.
- Observe color changes: Watch how the cap dries from the center outward, creating a striking two-toned appearance.
- Check the substrate: Note that these mushrooms prefer decaying hardwood, particularly birch, beech, and oak.