Fungus · GBIF taxon 9127230
yellow fieldcap
Bolbitius titubansAlso known as Sunny Side Up Mushroom, Yellow Cowdung Mushroom, Egg-Yolk Fungus
Bright yellow caps emerge from wet grass, rich pastures, and woodchips early in the morning, looking remarkably like tiny fried eggs perched atop slender white stems. As the day progresses, the slippery cap pales to greyish tan, flattens out, and dissolves into a soft, delicate liquid before disappearing by afternoon. This rapid fruiting cycle allows the fungus to flourish in nutrient-rich soils worldwide whenever moisture and warmth align.
EphemeralBright YellowGrassland
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Decaying organic matter
- Plant debris
- Herbivore dung
Predators
- Slugs
- Fungus gnats
- Springtails
ThreatsExcessive agricultural chemical runoff and lawn fungicide application
HabitatsLawns, pastures, dung, compost heaps, and woodchip beds
Life span3 to 12 hours (fruiting body)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderAgaricales
- FamilyBolbitiaceae
- GenusBolbitius
- SpeciesBolbitius titubans
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Many wild mushrooms have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild fungi based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
- Look Early: Search damp lawns and pastures at dawn before the morning sun causes caps to wither.
- Observe Color Changes: Notice how bright yellow caps fade to dull greyish tan as they expand.
- Handle With Care: Stems are remarkably fragile and snap under the lightest touch.
Competitor Jason Hollinger / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Frequent Companion no rights reserved · cc0
Close Relative (c) mycowalt, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by mycowalt · cc-by-sa
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