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| Bolbitius titubans | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Agaricales |
| Family: | Bolbitiaceae |
| Genus: | Bolbitius |
| Species: | B. titubans
|
| Binomial name | |
| Bolbitius titubans (Bull.) Fr.
| |
| Synonyms | |
| Bolbitius titubans | |
|---|---|
| Mycological characteristics | |
 | Gills on hymenium |
 | Cap is ovate or flat |
 | Hymenium is adnate or free |
 | Stipe is bare |
 | Spore print is brown |
 | Ecology is saprotrophic |
 | Edibility is edible, but unpalatable |
Bolbitius titubans, commonly known as the Yellow Fieldcap, or informally as the sunny side up,[1][2] is a widespread species of gilled mushroom found on every continent excluding Antarctica. It belongs to the family Bolbitiaceae and is one of the most commonly recognizable mushrooms in open landscapes. This species was described by French mycologist Jean Baptiste Francois Pierre Bulliard in 1789 under the name Agaricus titubans.
The Yellow Fieldcap is typically found in grassland habitats, meadows, and garden lawns where it fruits prolifically after periods of rain during the warm season. This mushroom can also be observed growing from straw, dung, and other decomposing organic matter highlighting its role as a saprotroph.
Despite the common name "sunny side up" this mushroom is considered inedible primarily due to its thin, fragile flesh, which deteriorates rapidly. This mushroom is not known to be toxic.
Description
[edit]The mushroom cap is 1.5–7 centimetres (1⁄2–3 in) across,[3] and grows from egg-shaped when young to broadly convex, finally ending up nearly flat.[4] The cap's color starts yellow or bright yellow, and fades to whitish or greyish with age.[5] The stem is 3–12 cm (1–4+1⁄2 in) tall and 2–6 millimetres (1⁄8–1⁄4 in) wide,[3] whitish-yellow with a fine mealy powdering, and very delicate.[6]
The fragile and soft gills are free from the stem or narrowly attached and fade from whitish or pale yellowish to rusty cinnamon with age.[4] They produce a cinnamon-brown spore print.[7] The spores are brown, elliptical, and smooth.[3]
Similar species
[edit]Similar species include Bolbitius aleuriatus,[3] B. coprophilus, B. lacteus, and Conocybe apala.[7]
Habitat and distribution
[edit]The species grows on grass, woodchips, compost, and dung. It is known to occur in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and South America.[8]
Edibility
[edit]Experts do not advise eating this mushroom. While nontoxic,[9] it is too insubstantial to be considered worthwhile.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ Arora, David (1986) [1979]. Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi (2nd ed.). Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press. pp. 474–75. ISBN 978-0-89815-170-1.
- ^ Siegel, Noah; Schwarz, Christian (September 1, 2024). Mushrooms of Cascadia: A Comprehensive Guide to Fungi of the Pacific Northwest. Humboldt County, CA: Backcountry Press. p. 150. ISBN 9781941624197.
- ^ a b c d e Davis, R. Michael; Sommer, Robert; Menge, John A. (2012). Field Guide to Mushrooms of Western North America. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 248. ISBN 978-0-520-95360-4. OCLC 797915861.
- ^ a b Kuo, Michael (February 2012). "Bolbitius titubans". Retrieved October 31, 2013.
- ^ "California Fungi—Bolbitius titubans". Retrieved October 31, 2013.
- ^ "Rogers Mushrooms — Bolbitus vitellinus Mushroom". Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
- ^ a b Audubon (2023). Mushrooms of North America. Knopf. p. 628. ISBN 978-0-593-31998-7.
- ^ "Bolbitius titubans (MushroomExpert.Com)". www.mushroomexpert.com. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ^ Miller Jr., Orson K.; Miller, Hope H. (2006). North American Mushrooms: A Field Guide to Edible and Inedible Fungi. Guilford, CN: FalconGuide. p. 270. ISBN 978-0-7627-3109-1.
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