Gymnopilus Junonius

Gymnopilus junonius is a species of mushroom in the family Cortinariaceae. Commonly known as the Spectacular Rustgill, they typically find this large orange mushroom growing on tree stumps, logs, or tree bases.Gymnopilus luteofolius Some subspecies of this mushroom contain the neurotoxic oligoisoprenoid gymnopilin.The cap ranges from 7 to 20 cm across, is convex, and is bright yellow-orange in younger specimens and orange/brown or reddish brown in older ones, with a dry scaly surface. The stem is 2.5 to 26.5 cm long, 1 to 4 cm thick, and often narrows near the base.Gymnopilus aeruginosus They dust the frail ring with rusty orange spores, the flesh is yellow and the gill attachment to the stem is adnate to sub-decurrent. It has a bitter taste, stains red with KOH and turns green when cooked in a pan. The spore print is rusty orange. It never bruises blue, unlike its psychoactive relatives. This mushroom usually grows in clusters from several to several dozen individuals, but sometimes grows solitary gymnopilus luteofolius.Gymnopilus luteus.

Gymnopilus junonius was first described by Swedish mycologist Elia Magnus Fries in 1821; this famous mycologist called it Agaricus junonius. This was not uncommon, as most gilled fungi were first called Agaricus. Gymnopilus junonius was given its new name in 1960 by the British mycologist Peter Darbishire Orton. The prefix Gymn- in Gymnopilus means naked and -pilus means cap, and as expected, Gymnopilus junonius has a naked cap. Gymnopilus junonius is more commonly known as Spectacular Rustgill and Laughing Gym. Gymnopilus junonius was previously known as Gymnopilus spectabilis and may also be referred to as Big Laughing Gym. Some still reports that these are distinct mushrooms; however, a paper issued in 2020 alludes to the fact they are one of the same

The epithet gymnopilus luteofoliusis regarding Juno, a Roman Goddess. Juno was the wife and the sister of Jupiter and the daughter of Saturn. They considered her beauty and a warrior-like woman matched by her statuesque presence.

This mushroom may look tasty, but we must not eat it. That being said, Gymnopilus junonius is considered in some cultures to induce spiritually enhancing experiences and hallucinations. We widely agreed that with Gymnopilus junonius, it is more likely to make you sick before it leads to hallucinations and feelings of euphoria.gymnopilus luteofolius,Gymnopilus luteus

The psychoactive compound that induces hallucinations in these types of mushrooms is psilocybin; however, the levels of any psychoactive compounds in Gymnopilus junonius are variable and even maybe regionally dependent. It is important to note that Gymnopilus junonius is considered very poisonous; this may be because of the presence of neurotoxins, gymnopilins, in the fruiting body of the mushroom.

Cap: Large from 4 to 20cm in diameter. I have reported specimens of around 30cm. Convex to nearly plane with age. Cap color is not the same across all; sometimes gold; may be a deep orange or red-brown in older specimens. Surface is dry with tiny brown scales. Yellow flesh, solid.
Gills: Crowded and attached gills. Narrow to quite broad. Pale yellow or angish-brown.
Stem: Thick and strong; club-like shape. Up to 27cm tall; 1 to 4 cm thick. Same color as the cap. Thick and yellow flesh. Ringed stem. Partial veil may be present. gymnopilus aeruginosus covered in tiny fibers. Gymnopilus luteus.
Smell: Anise.
Taste: If chew the cap and spit it out, it is bitter.
Spores: Oval or elliptical; wrinkled.
Spore color: Rusty brown.
Edibility: Inedible. Poisonous.
Habitat: Wood rotting (saprobic) so important for the decomposition of wood, returning the nutrients back to the soil. Grows at the base of dead broad-leaved trees; on ground or buried wood; sometimes conifers. Solitary of found in small yet dense groups in moist areas; frequently lowlands by rivers. Spring to early Winter depending on location; in Southern Europe found in January still fruiting. Quite common, found in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa, and North and South America.

Scientific classification: Class: Agaricomycetes; Order: Agaricales; Family: Cortinariaceae; Genus: Gymnopilus and Binomial name: Gymnopilus junonius (Fr.) P.D.Orton (1960).gymnopilus aeruginosus