By Type

Mushrooms by Type

Grouping mushrooms by shape, gilled, chanterelle, bolete, morel, tooth, is how field guides teach identification. Start with the overall form, then narrow to species.

The Forms

Browse by shape

Each type is a different way a mushroom makes and drops its spores. Recognizing the form is the first step of any identification.

By edibility instead
Australian Honey Fungus, an example of the gilled form

Gilled

A cap with blade-like gills underneath. The classic form, spanning prized edibles and the deadliest species alike.

e.g. Australian Honey Fungus 51 species Agarikon, an example of the polypore form

Polypore

Tough, shelf-like bracket fungi that grow on wood.

e.g. Agarikon 11 species Bitter Bolete, an example of the bolete form

Bolete

A spongy, pored underside instead of gills. Many are choice edibles.

e.g. Bitter Bolete 7 species Morel, an example of the morel form

Morel

Honeycombed or brain-like caps. Includes true morels and their toxic false-morel lookalikes.

e.g. Morel 5 species Black Trumpet, an example of the chanterelle form

Chanterelle

Funnel-shaped with blunt, forked false-gill ridges rather than true gills. A prized wild-edible group.

e.g. Black Trumpet 3 species Tremella, an example of the coral form

Coral

Branched, coral-like fruiting bodies.

e.g. Tremella 2 species Hedgehog Mushroom, an example of the tooth form

Tooth

Spore-bearing spines or teeth instead of gills. Includes the unmistakable lion's mane.

e.g. Hedgehog Mushroom 2 species Black Truffle, an example of the truffle form

Truffle

A distinct group of mushrooms sharing this structural form.

e.g. Black Truffle 2 species Booted Amanita, an example of the amanita form

Amanita

A distinct group of mushrooms sharing this structural form.

e.g. Booted Amanita 1 species Cordyceps, an example of the club fungus form

Club Fungus

A distinct group of mushrooms sharing this structural form.

e.g. Cordyceps 1 species Blistered Cup, an example of the cup fungus form

Cup Fungus

A distinct group of mushrooms sharing this structural form.

e.g. Blistered Cup 1 species Fool's Funnel, an example of the funnel form

Funnel

A distinct group of mushrooms sharing this structural form.

e.g. Fool's Funnel 1 species Woolly Milkcap, an example of the milkcap form

Milkcap

A distinct group of mushrooms sharing this structural form.

e.g. Woolly Milkcap 1 species Angel Wing, an example of the oyster like form

Oyster Like

A distinct group of mushrooms sharing this structural form.

e.g. Angel Wing 1 species Common Earthball, an example of the puffball form

Puffball

Round bodies that release spores in a puff. Always cut to check they are solid white inside.

e.g. Common Earthball 1 species Blackening Waxcap, an example of the waxcap form

Waxcap

A distinct group of mushrooms sharing this structural form.

e.g. Blackening Waxcap 1 species
How to Read a Mushroom

Four features that place any species

Cap

Shape, color, texture, and how it changes with age.

Underside

True gills, false ridges, pores, or teeth: the single most useful clue.

Stem & base

A ring or a cup at the base can mark a deadly Amanita. Always dig up the whole base.

Spore print

The color of the dropped spores often separates safe species from dangerous ones.

How to take a spore print

Shape is the first question

Before a name, a forager reads form. The way a mushroom carries and drops its spores puts it into a broad type, and that type is the start of every identification.

Read the underside

The single most useful feature is what hangs under the cap.

  • Gills, thin blades, the classic form and the one to know best
  • False ridges, blunt and forking, as on a chanterelle
  • Pores, a sponge-like surface, as on a bolete
  • Teeth, soft spines, as on lion's mane

Why it matters for safety

Type narrows the field and flags the danger zones. The gilled forms hold both fine edibles and the deadliest species, so they demand the most care.

Warning

Two mushrooms of the same shape can be worlds apart in safety. Type is a starting point, never a verdict.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do field guides sort mushrooms by shape?
Because form is the first thing you can read in the field. The overall shape and the spore-bearing surface place a mushroom in a broad group before you narrow to a species.
What is the most useful feature for identifying a mushroom's type?
The underside of the cap. Gills, false ridges, pores, or teeth each point to a different group and are among the most reliable early clues.

Not sure what you are holding?

Work through the identification guides and the dangerous-lookalike comparisons before you trust any find.

Identify a mushroom