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.
False chanterelle vs jack-o'-lantern: how to tell them apart
Quick answer
Both have true gills, but the false chanterelle's thin, crowded gills fork again and again, and it grows singly or scattered on rotting conifer wood, needle duff or wood chips; the jack-o'-lantern's sharp gills do not fork repeatedly, and it grows in dense, fused clusters at the base of hardwoods. The flesh is soft and pale in the false chanterelle, orange throughout in the jack-o'-lantern.
Toxic lookalike
The jack-o'-lantern is toxic.
The jack-o'-lantern (Omphalotus illudens) is poisonous; the false chanterelle (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca) is not recorded as a dangerous poison. 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. The University of British Columbia's Mushrooms Up! guide records that information on the false chanterelle's edibility conflicts, that some field guides report adverse reactions, and that only one case of gastrointestinal upset appeared in the poisoning records summarized by the North American Mycological Association.
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
Lookalike
The tellOrange cap with thin, crowded, repeatedly forked true gills, on rotting conifer wood or duff.
Toxic lookalike
The tellBright orange clusters on wood with sharp true gills and orange flesh.
How they differ
| Feature | False Chanterelle | Jack-o'-Lantern |
|---|---|---|
| Gills | False ChanterelleThin, crowded, forking repeatedly, usually brighter orange than the cap. | Jack-o'-LanternSharp and crowded, running down the stem, not repeatedly forked. |
| Growth | False ChanterelleSingle or scattered. | Jack-o'-LanternDense clusters with fused stems. |
| What it grows on | False ChanterelleRotting conifer wood, needle duff, wood chips and mulch. | Jack-o'-LanternHardwood stumps, tree bases and buried roots, especially oak. |
| Size | False ChanterelleCap 0.75 to 3 inches (2 to 8 cm). | Jack-o'-LanternCap 2 to 8 inches (5 to 20 cm). |
| Flesh | False ChanterelleThin, soft, pale orange to whitish. | Jack-o'-LanternOrange to pale orange throughout. |
| Spore print | False ChanterelleWhite to cream. | Jack-o'-LanternCream to pale yellowish. |
FAQ
Common questions
Is the false chanterelle poisonous?
Reports conflict. Some field guides record adverse reactions, but the University of British Columbia's Mushrooms Up! guide notes only one case of gastrointestinal upset in North American poisoning records. It is not among the dangerous species.
Is the jack-o'-lantern a false chanterelle?
It is sometimes called one, but the name usually means Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca. The jack-o'-lantern is a separate, poisonous species in the genus Omphalotus.
Sources
Where these facts come from
- Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca
MushroomExpert.com
- Omphalotus illudens
MushroomExpert.com
- Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca, false chanterelle (Mushrooms Up!)
Beaty Biodiversity Museum, University of British Columbia
- Toxic Mushrooms
Bay Area Mycological Society
Keep checking
Read both pages in full
- More on the false 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.
Cinnabar chanterelle vs jack-o'-lantern
- Toxic: Jack-o'-Lantern
The cinnabar chanterelle is small, red and grows alone on soil with forked false gills. Jack-o'-lanterns are large, orange and clustered on wood.
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