Gilled mushrooms come in several different shapes, although typically we think of them as cap and stem mushrooms, and have historically called them ‘Agarics’. The gills are thin, fragile, downward-facing plates on which spores are produced within structures called basidia. Some gilled mushrooms do not have much if any stem, such as oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus species) and Crepidotus species. Others, such as Gilled Boletes (Phylloporus species) and Tapinella species are actually more closely related to boletes than to members of the Agaricales. Due to their unique structure consisting of principally spherical cells causing these fruiting bodies to break like chalk, Lactarius, Lactifluus and Russula species are listed in their own category.
To facilitate your search for particular gilled mushrooms, I have divided them into two general groups and distiguished them by whether their spores are pale or light-colored and those that are dark-colored. Light-colored spores can be white, cream, or pale to dark yellow. To further facilitate finding photos and descriptions of light-spored gilled mushrooms, I have entered their genus names in accordance with whether or not they are 1. TERRESTRIAL, 2. grow from a WOOD, NEEDLE, LEAF, CONIFER CONE or NUT substrates, are 3. PARASITIC ON OTHER FUNGI or are 4. WAXY CAP mushrooms (HYGROPHORACEAE family of the Agaricales order). Many species of waxy-cap mushrooms have recently been separated into several genera. These fungi generally have thickish, slippery or greasy gills, sometimes the caps and stems are tacky to extremely viscid, and many are quite colorful. Some are white, brown or black.
Fun factoid: There are more pale or light-spored fungi than there are dark-spored.
LIGHT-SPORED GILLED FUNGI THAT GROW FROM THE GROUND (Terrestrial substrate)
AMANITA____abrupta,____aestivalis,_____albocreata,____atkinsoniana,____banningiana,____bisporigera, ____brunnescens, ____brunnescens var. pallida,___canescens,____ceciliae_(rhacopus), ____cinereopannosa,____citrina (See A. mappa),_____cokeri (See A. subcokeri), ____crenulata, ____daucipes,____elongata,____farinosa, ____flavoconia, ____flavorubens,____frostiana,____fulva group,
____ jacksonii, ____mappa (See A. citrina),____multisquamosa (pantherina), ____muscaria var. guessowei, ____onusta,____pachysperma,____pantherina,____parcivolvata,____peckiana, ____phalloides, _____polyporamis,____porphyria,___praecox 32 (no ring),____pseudovolvata,____rasitabula (vaginata var.alba),_____rhacopus(cecileae),____rhopalopus,____rubescens,____russuloides(ring),____sinicoflava,____spreta, ____sturgeonii, ____subcokeri,____submaculata, _____subsolitaria,____subvolvata,____vaginata group,____velatipes,____virginiana, ____volvata, ____wellsii,_____whetstoneae
AMPULLOCLITOCYBE_____clavipes
CHLOROPHYLLUM (Lepiota)____rhacodes
CLITOCYBE____candicans____clavipes (See AMPULOCLITOCYBE)_____cyathiformis (See PSEUDOCLITOCYBE) ____dealbata____gibba (See INFUNDIBULOCYBE), ____irina (See LEPISTA), ____robusta,____squamulosa,____trunicola
COLLYBIA____cirrhata,_____cookei____tuberosa,____zonata (Crinipellis zonata)
CRINIPELLIS (COLLYBIA)_____zonata
LACTARIUS/LACTIFLUUS (SEE QUICK LINKS TO LACTARIUS, LACTIFLUUS & RUSSULA page)
LEPIOTA____aspera (see ECHINODERMA),____clypeolaria,____cristata,____magnispora
LEUCOAGARICUS (LEPIOTA)_____leucothites (naucinus),____naucinus (SEE leucothites),____rubrotinctus
LEUCOCYBE (LYOPHYLLUM)____connata
LEUCOPAXILLUS____albissimus,____giganteus
LYOPHYLLUM____connatum(See LEUCOCYBE), ____decastes,______loricatum,____multiforme
MACROLEPIOTA (LEPIOTA)____procera
MELANOLEUCA____alboflavida,____cognata,____melaleuca
NOTHOPANUS _____candissimum (a.k.a. Cheimonophylum candissimum)
PAXILLUS (Boletales) ____involutus
PHYLLOPORUS_____boletinoides___leucomycelinus____rhodoxanthus
PSEUDOCLITOCYBE (CLITOCYBE)____cyathiformis
RUGOMYCES (CALOCYBE)____carneus
RUSSULA (SEE QUICK LINKS TO LACTARIUS, LACTIFLUUS & RUSSULA page)
TRICHOLOMA____aestuans,____aurantium,____caligatum,____davisiae,____equestre (flavovirens),_____focale, _____fulvum,____fumosoluteum,____imbricatum,____magnivelare,____myomyces,____odorum,___palustre, ____pessundatum,____pullum, ____saponaceum,____subluteum,____ suberesplendens, ___subsejunctum,____transmutans,____ustale,____vaccinum,____virgatum
LIGHT-SPORED GILLED FUNGI THAT GROW FROM WOOD, MOSS, LICHENS, CONIFER CONES, NEEDLES, LEAVES or NUTS rather than soil
ARMILLARIA____gallica,____mellea,_____sinapina,____solidipes (ostoyae),____tabescens(See DESARMILLARIA)
BAEOSPORA____myosura (grows from conifer cones)
CHEIMONOPHYLLUM _____candissimuim (a.k.a. Nothopanus candissimum)
CLITOCELLA (Rhodocybe)____mundula (popinalis) (binds leaves)
CLITOCYBULA____abundans,___familia,___oculus
CONNOPUS (GYMNOPUS) ____acervatus
ECHINODERMA (Lepiota) ____asperum
GYMNOPUS (COLLYBIA)____acervatus (See CONNOPUS), _____alkalivirens,____androsaceus,____biformis, ____confluens (on conifer litter),____dichrous (on sticks),____dryophila,____dysodes,____foetidus,____lentinoides (See RHODOCOLLYBIA),____luxurians,____semihirtipes,_____spongiosus,_____subnudus (on leaves),____subsulphureus
HOHENBUEHELIA____angusta,____petaloides,
HYMENOPELLIS (XERULA)____furfuracea,____megalospora,____rubrobrunnescens
HYPSIZYGUS____marmoreus(tessulatus),____ulmarius
LENTINELLUS____cochleatus,____cohaerens,____ursinus,____vulpinus
LENTINUS (a polypore) ____levis____suavissimus(See NEOFAVOLOUS)____tigrinus
LEUCOAGARICUS (LEPIOTA)____americanus
LICHENOMPHALIA_____umbellifera_____velutina
MEGACOLLYBIA____rodmanii (platyphylla)
NEOFAVOLUS (Lentinus)____suavissimus
PANELLUS ____stipticus,____violaceofulvus
PANUS (Polyporales)____conchatus,____neostrigosus,____serotinus (See SARCOMYXA)
PAXILLUS (Boletales)____atrotomentosa (See TAPINELLA atrotomentosa), ____involutus,____panuiodes
PLEUROTUS____dryinus,_____levis,____ostreatus,____populinius,____pulmonarius
RESUPINATUS____alboniger,____applicatus,____striatulus
RHIZOMARASMIUS____pyrrhocephalus
RHODOCYBE (See CLITOCELLA)____mundula (popinalis)
RICKENELLA____fibula (in moss)
RHODOCOLLYBIA (COLLYBIA)____butyracea,____lentinoides,____maculata,____maculata var. scorzonera (all in conifer debris)
SARCOMYXA (PANUS)____serotina
TAPINELLA (Paxillus)____atrotomentosa
TETRAPYROGUS (Marasmius)____nigripes
TRICHOLOMOPSIS____decora,____rutilans,____sulphurioides
XEROMPHALINA____campanella,____kaufmanii
LIGHT-SPORED GILLED FUNGI THAT GROW FROM OTHER FUNGI
ASTEROPHORA____lycoperdoides,____parasitica
PSEUDOAMILLARIELLA (CLITOCYBE)____ectypoides
WAXY CAPS
CUPHOPHYLLUS (Hygrophorus)____lacmus,____praetensis,____virgineus
GLIOPHORUS (HYGROCYBE, HYGROPHORUS)____irrigatus,____laetus,____perplexus,____psittacinus
GLIOANYTHOMYCES_____nitidus (Hygrocybe nitida),_____vitellinus
HUMIDICUTIS (HYGROCYBE)_____auratocephala,____marginata var. concolor,____marginata var. marginata, ____marginata var. olivacea
HYGROCYBE____cantharellus,____caespitosa,____chlorphana(flavescens),____coccinea,____conica, ____cuspidata,____miniata,____minutula,____nitrata,____parvula,____persistens,____punicea,____purpureofolius, ____turunda
HYGROPHORUS____agathosmos,____angustifolius,____camarophyllus,____chrysodon,____eburneus, ____erubescens,____flavodiscus,____fuligineus, ____lacmus (See CUPHOPHYLUS), ____purpurescens____russula,____speciosus,____sordidus,____subovinus (see NEOHYGROCYBE),____tennesseensis
NEOHYGROCYBE (HYGRPHORUS)____subovina