''Hypholoma lateritium'', sometimes called brick cap, chestnut mushroom, cinnamon cap, brick top, red woodlover or kuritake, is a fungal species in the genus '' Hypholoma'', which also contains the poisonous species '' Hypholoma fasciculare'' and the edible '' Hypholoma capnoides''. Its fruiting bodies are generally larger than either of these. ''Hypholoma sublateritium'' is a synonym. In Europe this mushroom is often considered inedible or even poisonous, but in the US and Japan it is apparently a popular edible fungus. One reason to avoid it in the wild is the possibility of confusion with ''

Galerina marginata ''Galerina marginata'', known colloquially as funeral bell, deadly skullcap, autumn skullcap or deadly galerina, is a species of extremely poisonous mushroom-forming fungus in the family Hymenogastraceae of the order Agaricales. It contains th ...

'' or '' H. fasciculare''. In Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and West Virginia they are found in dense clusters on stumps and roots from October until long after frosts.

Description

The

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...

is 3.5–10 cm in diameter, usually with a brick-red coloration in the center and a paler margin. It is smooth, sometimes with red-brown flecks in the middle and sometimes with flaky

veil A veil is an article of clothing or hanging cloth that is intended to cover some part of the head or face, or an object of some significance. Veiling has a long history in European, Asian, and African societies. The practice has been prominent ...

remnants, which can easily be washed off in the rain, on the outside.
The

gills A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

are crowded, starting yellowish and becoming grayish with age. They do not have the green color of '' Hypholoma fasciculare''.
The stipe is light yellow and darker below.
Spores have a

germ pore A germ pore is a small pore in the outer wall of a fungal spore through which the germ tube exits upon germination. It can be apical or eccentric in its location, and, on light microscopy, may be visualized as a lighter coloured area on the cell ...

and are 6.0-7.5 × 3.5-4.0 μm. The

cheilocystidia A cystidium (plural cystidia) is a relatively large cell found on the sporocarp of a basidiomycete (for example, on the surface of a mushroom gill), often between clusters of basidia. Since cystidia have highly varied and distinct shapes that ar ...

are variable; the spore print is purple-brown.
This species is sometimes considered edible but caution must be taken to avoid confusing it with similar-looking deadly species such as

. The taste of ''Hypholoma lateritium'' is mild to somewhat bitter. However, when cooked, brick caps have a nutty flavor. They are especially delicious when sauteed in olive oil. Brick Tops have been considered one of the better edibles of late fall in the

Northeast United States The Northeastern United States, also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast, is a geographic region of the United States. It is located on the Atlantic coast of North America, with Canada to its north, the South ...

. They are best when collected young; older specimens tend to be bitter from being fouled by insects.Palmer, E. Laurence; Fowler, H. Seymour (1975). ''Fieldbook of Natural History: Second Edition''. New York: McGraw Hill. xviii + 779 pp. (''Hypholoma sublateritium'', p. 86.)

Source

*Mostly taken from the German page.

References

External links

*http://www.mushroomexpert.com/hypholoma_sublateritium.html

Gallery

File:Hypholoma sublateritium - Brick Cap - Ziegelroter Schwefelkopf - 01.jpg File:Ziegelroter Schwefelkopf Wiese.jpg File:HypholomaSublateritium.jpg File:Hypholoma sublateritium 031207A.jpg File:Ziegelrote Schwefelköpfe.jpg File:Hypholoma lateritium ultraviolet.jpg File:Hypholoma Lateritium Growing on Fallen Tree Stump.jpg Hypholoma Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America Taxa named by Jacob Christian Schäffer {{Agaricales-stub