Chicken of the woods vs jack-o'-lantern
- Toxic: Jack-o'-Lantern
Look under the orange: chicken of the woods has yellow pores and no stems. A jack-o'-lantern has sharp orange gills on separate stems.
Cinnabar chanterelle vs jack-o'-lantern: how to tell them apart
Quick answer
The cinnabar chanterelle is small, under about 1.5 inches across, cinnabar red to pinkish red, and has blunt, forked false gills with cross-veins; the jack-o'-lantern is large, bright orange, grows in clusters from wood or buried roots, and has sharp, crowded true gills. A cinnabar chanterelle grows singly or scattered on soil, never in a fused cluster.
Toxic lookalike
The jack-o'-lantern is toxic.
Unlike the cinnabar chanterelle, the jack-o'-lantern (Omphalotus illudens) is poisonous. The Bay Area Mycological Society names illudins M and S as the main toxins in Omphalotus and describes a rapid onset of serious gastrointestinal symptoms, sometimes lasting several days. Tom Volk records severe cramps, vomiting and diarrhea, and the Missouri Department of Conservation notes that it is not life-threatening to healthy adults.
If someone has eaten a wild mushroom and feels unwell, or may have eaten one of these, call poison control now: 1-800-222-1222 in the US. Do not wait for symptoms.
Side by side
The tell for each
Edible
The tellSmall, cinnabar-red chanterelle with pinkish-red forked false gills.
Toxic lookalike
The tellBright orange clusters on wood with sharp true gills and orange flesh.
How they differ
| Feature | Cinnabar Chanterelle | Jack-o'-Lantern |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Cinnabar ChanterelleCap 0.5 to 1.5 inches (1 to 4 cm). | Jack-o'-LanternCap 2 to 8 inches (5 to 20 cm). |
| Color | Cinnabar ChanterelleCinnabar red to pinkish red. | Jack-o'-LanternBright orange to yellow-orange. |
| Underside | Cinnabar ChanterelleBlunt, forked false gills with cross-veins, running down the stem. | Jack-o'-LanternSharp, crowded true gills running down the stem. |
| Growth | Cinnabar ChanterelleSingle or scattered on mossy soil, trails and banks. | Jack-o'-LanternDense clusters with fused stems, on wood or buried roots. |
| Flesh | Cinnabar ChanterelleThin, whitish to pinkish. | Jack-o'-LanternOrange to pale orange throughout. |
| Spore print | Cinnabar ChanterellePinkish cream. | Jack-o'-LanternCream to pale yellowish. |
FAQ
Common questions
Is the cinnabar chanterelle a real chanterelle?
Yes. Cantharellus cinnabarinus is a true chanterelle, with blunt false gills instead of true gills. North American red chanterelles have recently been split into more than one species based on DNA.
How do you tell a chanterelle from a jack-o'-lantern?
Chanterelles have blunt, forked ridges and grow from soil. Jack-o'-lanterns have sharp true gills and grow in clusters from wood.
Sources
Where these facts come from
- Cantharellus cinnabarinus
MushroomExpert.com
- Omphalotus illudens
MushroomExpert.com
- Chanterelles
Missouri Department of Conservation
- Toxic Mushrooms
Bay Area Mycological Society
Keep checking
Read both pages in full
- More on the cinnabar chanterelle
- More on the jack-o'-lantern
- Not sure it is either? Narrow it down with the identification key
This page states what field guides record. It is not advice to eat, taste or handle anything, and a photo cannot settle edibility. If someone has eaten a wild mushroom that may be toxic, call poison control (1-800-222-1222 in the US) right away, before symptoms start: the deadliest species act hours later.
More comparisons
Honey mushroom vs jack-o'-lantern
- Toxic: Jack-o'-Lantern
Honey mushrooms have a ring, white gills and white flesh. Jack-o'-lanterns have no ring, sharp orange gills and orange flesh.
False chanterelle vs jack-o'-lantern
- Toxic: Jack-o'-Lantern
Both have true orange gills. False chanterelle gills fork repeatedly and it grows alone on conifer debris; jack-o'-lanterns cluster on hardwood.
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