Pholiota squarrosa (Vahl) P. Kumm. 1871
This beautiful Pholiota is not nearly as common as Pholiota squarrosoides is in the northeast. One major difference between them is that the pale yellow cap of this mushroom is dry and does not ever feel slimy or slippery. The brown scales on the cap and stem are pointed. It grows in clusters on dead wood. Another difference is that Pholiota squarrosa’s gills turn grayish-green before becoming cinnamon-brown with age. Also, many collections of this species exhibit a radish or garlic odor. The spores of of this species are also larger than those of the more common Pholiota squarrosoides.
Pholiota squarrosa