''Mycena acicula'', commonly known as the orange bonnet, or the coral spring Mycena, is a species of
fungus
A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from th ...
in the family
Mycenaceae
The Mycenaceae are a family of fungi in the order Agaricales. According to the ''Dictionary of the Fungi'' (10th edition, 2008), the family contains 10 genera and 705 species. This is one of several families that were separated from the Tricholom ...
. It is found in Asia, the Caribbean, North America and Europe. The
fruit bodies
The sporocarp (also known as fruiting body, fruit body or fruitbody) of fungi is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing structures, such as basidia or asci, are borne. The fruitbody is part of the sexual phase of a fungal life cyc ...
, or
mushroom
A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans.
The standard for the name "mushroom" is t ...
s, of the fungus grow on dead twigs and other woody debris of forest floors, especially along streams and other wet places. They have small orange-red
caps, up to in diameter, held by slender yellowish
stems up to long. The
gills are pale yellow with a whitish edge. Several other ''
Mycena
''Mycena'' is a large genus of small saprotrophic mushrooms that are rarely more than a few centimeters in width. They are characterized by a white spore print, a small conical or bell-shaped cap, and a thin fragile stem. Most are gray or bro ...
'' species look similar, but may be distinguished by differences in size and/or microscopic characteristics. ''M. acicula'' is considered