''Xeromphalina campanella'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

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 ...

. The

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

s of the species include the golden trumpet and the bell Omphalina. The

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

name ''Xeromphalina'' means "little dry navel" and ''campanella'' means "bell-shaped", respectively describing the mature and young shapes of the ''pileus'', or cap. The mushroom is also called ''fuzzy-foot''. Xeromphalina campanella 63413

Description

The

fruit body In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the Ovary (plants), ovary after flowering plant, flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their ...

of ''X. campanella'' has a small umbrella-shaped

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 ...

, about .5–2 cm wide. The thin brown stalk is 1–5 cm long and 1–3 mm wide, yellow at the apex, reddish brown below, with brown or yellow hairs at the base. 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 pale yellow to pale orange. The

spore print 300px, Making a spore print of the mushroom ''Volvariella volvacea'' shown in composite: (photo lower half) mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; (photo upper half) cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print. A 3.5-centimeter ...

is pale

buff Buff or BUFF may refer to: People * Buff (surname), a list of people * Buff (nickname), a list of people * Johnny Buff, ring name of American world champion boxer John Lisky (1888–1955) * Buff Bagwell, a ring name of American professional wr ...

. When the species is young, their caps are bell-shaped. As they mature, the outer part of the cap expands and rises which leaves the center depressed, resembling a

navel The navel (clinically known as the umbilicus, commonly known as the belly button or tummy button) is a protruding, flat, or hollowed area on the abdomen at the attachment site of the umbilical cord. All placental mammals have a navel, although ...

Edibility

Although the species is not poisonous, the mushrooms are small and bitter tasting with no value as edibles.

David Arora David Arora (born October 23, 1952)Barnard J. 1993. "Self-taught mushroom maven travels world for fungi". ''Associated Press'' December 31, 1993. Accessed 2008-01-20, via LexisNexis Academic. is an American mycologist, naturalist, and writer. He ...

suggests that the mushroom is a small morsel that is hardly worth eating. Despite many authors calling the mushroom inedible, author Bill Russell knows people that eat the mushroom frequently.

Habitat

The

fruiting In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particula ...

occurs in clumps or very dense clusters on decaying logs, stumps, and woody debris of

coniferous trees Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All extant ...

. The species is commonly found in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. At times, the species almost entirely covers old tree stumps. The species can be found in any wet season of the year.

Similar species

'' Xeromphalina campanelloides'' is distinguishable via microscopic features. '' Xeromphalina kauffmanii'' resembles the species, but has a more yellow cap and grows on decaying wood of broad-leaved trees. '' Xeromphalina brunneola'' also resembles the species, but has smaller, narrowly elliptical spores, and differs in odor, taste, and cap color. '' Xeromphalina cauticinalis'', '' X. cornui'', and ''X. fulvipes'' are also similar.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3270252 Fungi of North America Mycenaceae Taxa named by August Batsch