Recent rains have produced an explosion of fruiting fungi, among them the distinctive Scaly Vase or Woolly Chanterelle (Turbinellus floccosus). This particular mushroom is not a chanterelle, but does have similarities. Like chanterelles, Scaly Vase appears in mid- to late July, has false gills that look like ridges or wrinkles and is an orange color (chanterelles are usually more golden yellow than orange, while scaly vases are orange to pinkish). Unlike the chanterelle that foragers highly prize as a dining delicacy, Scaly Vase causes gastrointestinal distress. While it won't kill you, you might regret sampling it.
As far as recognizing this mushroom, look for a cap that looks like a vase or an empty ice cream cone or a turban (hence the scientific name Turbinellus). These fungi can grow up to a foot tall and a foot wide.
The Scaly Vase mushroom grows in mycorrhizal association (symbiotic relationship between a fungus and a green plant) with conifer trees, including pines, firs, hemlocks, and spruces. It usually grows singularly, but there is often more than one scattered around the area. It only grows from the ground, never on or from trees, stumps, or logs.
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