Synonyms: Agaricus carbonarius, Agaricus highlandensis, Chalymmota carbonaria, Dryophila carbonaria, Flammula carbonaria, Flammula gigantea, Flammula highlandensis, Flammula spumosa, Gymnopilus carbonarius, Gymnopilus highlandensis, Inocybe carbonaria, Naucoria carbonaria, Naucoria highlandensis, Pholiota carbonicola, Pholiota highlandensis, Pholiota persicina, Pholiotina carbonaria.
Common names: bonfire scalycap, Charred Pholiota, Burnsite Pholiota.
Pholiota carbonaria is a species of fungus that grows on burned soil, char, and other burned organic matter. In East and Central Texas, it typically fruits in the spring and summer months, often in large numbers, on areas that have been recently burned by wildfires or controlled burns. The caps are 2-6 cm in diameter, reddish-brown to dark brown, and covered in fine hairs. The gills are crowded and pale yellow to golden brown. It is a common and widespread species in the region, found in a variety of habitats, including prairies, savannas, and open woods.
Charcoal scale-head mushrooms (Pholiota highlandensis, Pholiota carbonaria) on Lost Pines Trail in Bastrop State Park. Bastrop, Texas, October 5, 2013
Park Rd 1-A, Bastrop, TX 78602, USA
Brown caps of charcoal scale-head mushrooms (Pholiota highlandensis, Pholiota carbonaria) on Lost Pines Trail in Bastrop State Park. Bastrop, Texas, October 5, 2013Park Road 1-A, Bastrop, TX 78602, USA
Young charcoal scale-head mushrooms (Pholiota highlandensis, Pholiota carbonaria) on Lost Pines Trail in Bastrop State Park. Bastrop, Texas, October 5, 2013Park Road 1-A, Bastrop, TX 78602, USA
Bonfire scalycap mushrooms (Pholiota highlandensis, Pholiota carbonaria) in Bastrop State Park. Bastrop, Texas, March 24, 2020Park Rd 1C, Bastrop, TX 78602, USA
Young bonfire scalycap mushrooms (Pholiota highlandensis, Pholiota carbonaria) near Lost Pines Loop Trail in Bastrop State Park. Bastrop, Texas, February 28, 2021Park Rd 1C, Bastrop, TX 78602, USA
Bonfire scalycap mushrooms (Pholiota highlandensis, Pholiota carbonaria) darkened by freeze near Lost Pines Loop Trail in Bastrop State Park. Bastrop, Texas, February 28, 2021Park Rd 1C, Bastrop, TX 78602, USA
Bonfire scalycap mushrooms (Pholiota carbonaria) in burned area in Bastrop State Park. Bastrop, Texas, October 17, 2021Lost Pines Trail, Bastrop County, Texas, 78602, United States
Bonfire scalycap mushrooms (Pholiota carbonaria) on burned grouns on Sand Branch Loop Trail in Sam Houston National Forest near Montgomery. Texas, December 5, 2021Lone Star Hiking Trail, Montgomery County, Texas, 77873, United StatesObservations of Pholiota carbonaria in East and Central Texas reveal that the fungus grows in areas with burned or charred ground. In Bastrop State Park, it was found on Lost Pines Trail and near Lost Pines Loop Trail, often in association with charcoal or burned wood. The mushrooms were observed at various stages of growth, from young to mature, and their caps ranged in color from brown to darkened by freeze. Similar observations were made in Sam Houston National Forest, where the fungus was found on burned grounds along Sand Branch Loop Trail. The fungus appears to thrive in areas with recent fire activity, suggesting a potential association with fire ecology. The observations span multiple years, including 2013, 2020, 2021, and were recorded at different times of the year, from February to December.
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