Amylocystis lapponica or Anomoporia bombycina
How they differ, how to recognize them and which is more dangerous — a mushroom comparison
The short answer
Amylocystis lapponica and Anomoporia bombycina are similar species that can be mixed up while foraging. The main visible difference: season: Amylocystis lapponica — summer, Anomoporia bombycina — spring, summer, autumn, winter. The mushrooms also differ in the following features: size, cap color, cap shape.
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Amylocystis lapponica
Amylocystis lapponica
Anomoporia bombycina
Anomoporia bombycina
📊 Comparing characteristics
| Characteristic | Amylocystis lapponica | Anomoporia bombycina |
|---|---|---|
| Edibility class | Amylocystis lapponica Inedible | Anomoporia bombycina Inedible |
| Season | Amylocystis lapponica Summer | Anomoporia bombycina SpringSummerAutumnWinter |
| Use | Amylocystis lapponica Not eaten | Anomoporia bombycina Not eaten |
| Size | Amylocystis lapponica Medium (5–15 cm) | Anomoporia bombycina Small (up to 5 cm) |
| Cap color | Amylocystis lapponica WhitePinkRedBrown | Anomoporia bombycina WhiteYellowBrown |
| Cap shape | Amylocystis lapponica Convex | Anomoporia bombycina Irregular |
| Cap surface | Amylocystis lapponica Smooth | Anomoporia bombycina Smooth |
| Taste | Amylocystis lapponica Unknown | Anomoporia bombycina Unknown |
| Smell | Amylocystis lapponica Odorless | Anomoporia bombycina Odorless |
| Flesh color change | Amylocystis lapponica Reddening | Anomoporia bombycina Yellowing |
| Hymenophore | Amylocystis lapponica Pored | Anomoporia bombycina Pored |
| Stem | Amylocystis lapponica Lateral | Anomoporia bombycina Absent |
| Ring (veil) | Amylocystis lapponica No ring | Anomoporia bombycina No ring |
| Volva | Amylocystis lapponica No volva | Anomoporia bombycina No volva |
| Substrate | Amylocystis lapponica Dead wood | Anomoporia bombycina Dead wood |
| Nutrition type | Amylocystis lapponica Saprotroph | Anomoporia bombycina Saprotroph |
| Partner trees | Amylocystis lapponica Spruce | Anomoporia bombycina PineSpruce |
📅 Seasonality
Amylocystis lapponica
Fruiting season
July – August
Anomoporia bombycina
Fruiting season
January – December
🔬 Morphology
Cap
Amylocystis lapponica
Semicircular cap 5–15 cm wide, up to 3 cm thick. At first white with a pinkish tinge, a rusty-white tone. It darkens with age, becoming brownish brick-red.
Anomoporia bombycina
The fruiting body is spread out, thin and membranous. Size 3–10 cm, up to 30 cm across in favorable conditions. Color whitish → yellowish → gray-brown as it dries.
Hymenophore
Amylocystis lapponica
Tubular pore surface. Tubes 1–4 mm long. Spore print white.
Anomoporia bombycina
At first the pore surface is net-like, and over time it becomes tubular. Its color shifts the same way as the whole fruiting body. Spores ellipsoid, colorless, 5.5–7 × 3.5–5 µm.
Stem
Amylocystis lapponica
The stem is absent or very short and lateral. The cap is attached to the substrate by a broad base.
Anomoporia bombycina
There is no stem. The body is spread flat over the substrate.
Flesh
Amylocystis lapponica
flesh fleshy in young fruiting bodies, hardening with age and turning corky. Its color changes from white to reddish.
Anomoporia bombycina
flesh thin, membranous; soft in young fruiting bodies, tougher in old ones.
Smell
Amylocystis lapponica
Mushroomy, faint. When dry it has practically no smell.
Anomoporia bombycina
No distinctive smell.
📍 Habitats
Amylocystis lapponica
Anomoporia bombycina
👀 Similar mushrooms — don't mix them up!
❓ Frequently asked questions
Can Amylocystis lapponica and Anomoporia bombycina be mixed up?
How to tell Amylocystis lapponica from Anomoporia bombycina?
Is Anomoporia bombycina edible?
When do Amylocystis lapponica and Anomoporia bombycina grow?
Sources
- [1]Вікіпедія (українська)
- [2]Атлас грибів України, Зеров Д.К. (1979)
- [3]MycoBank Database
- [4]Index Fungorum
- [5]GBIF
- [6]iNaturalist Ukraine