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27 Hilariously Nasty Sounding Mushroom Species Names
By Arika Okrent
JerzyOpioła, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 4.0
Mushroom hunters and the authors of field guides have long come up with names that reference various characteristics of color, texture, shape, and smell using English or Latin. Some are strictly practical, but others are a little ... stranger. For example, way back in 1753, the mushroom pictured above was assigned the scientific name Phallus impudicus. Its common name is the shameless stinkhorn.
Mushrooms have a certain … suggestiveness about them that has long been noticed and acknowledged by those who study them, and there’s something about looking through a whole list of them together that cannot help but conjure up the most disgusting mycological orgy you never even knew could be imagined. I made the mistake of casually flipping through Eyewitness Handbooks: Mushrooms, and now, since I cannot bear the weight of this alone, I offer you these 27 other hilariously nasty sounding mushroom species names from the book.
1. BREAD DOUGH CLITOPILUS
Archenzo, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0
Scientific name: Clitopilus prunulus
2. EURO SLIMY LACTARIUS
Jean-Pol Grandmont, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.5
Scientific name: Lactarius blennius
3. PUNGENT FALSE BLEWIT
Scientific name: Lepista irina
4. YELLOW-STAINING TRICH
Stribilomyces, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0
Scientific name: Tricholoma scalpturatum
5. DIRTY TRICH COMPLEX
Scientific name: Tricholoma atrosquamosum
6. PURPLISH ENTOLOMA
Dan Molter, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0
Scientific name: Entoloma porphyrophaeum
7. SHEATHED CORT
James Lindsey at Ecology of Commanster, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0
Scientific name: Cortinarius torvus
8. DRY SCALY PHOLIOTA
Scientific name: Pholiota squarrosa
9. FRECKLE-GILLED GYM
bernd gliwa, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.5
Scientific name: Gymnopilus penetrans
10. COMMON STUMP PSATHYRELLA
Strobilomyces, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0
Scientific name: Psathyrella piluliformis
11. COMMON RINGED PANAEOLIS
Jörg Hempel, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0 DE
Scientific name: Panaeolus semiovatus
12. EURO SPINDLE-SHANK COLLYBIA
Strobilomyces, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0
Scientific name: Collybia fusipes
13. FETID RUSSULA
Thkgk, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0
Scientific name: Russula foetens
14. TINY ORANGE-CAP MYCENA
Scott Darbey, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.0
Sceintific name: Mycena acicula
15. STOUT-STALKED AMANITA
H. Krisp, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 3.0
Scientific name: Amanita spissa
16. COCKLESHELL LENTINELLUS
Danny S., Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0
Scientific name: Lentinellus cochleatus
17. EARTH-BALL BOLETE
Lebrac, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0
Scientific name: Boletus parasiticus
18. YELLOW-PORED SCABER-STALK
Paffka, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0
Scientific name: Leccinum crocipodium
19. TINDER POLYPORE
Scientific name: Fomes fomentarius
20. TREMBLING PHILEBIA
Dan Molter, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0
Scientific name: Phlebia tremellosa
21. HAIRY STEREUM
Norbert Nagel, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0
Scientific name: Stereum hirsutum
22. RIGID LEATHER BRACKET
ceridwen, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0
Scientific name: Hymenochaete rubiginosa
23. TOOTHED JELLY
Scientific name: Pseudohydnum gelatinosum
24. SCALY EARTH-TONGUE ASCO
Nga Manu Images NZ, Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Scientific name: Geoglossum fallax
25. CRAMP BALLS ASCO
Tony Hisgett, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.0
Scientific name: Daldinia concentrica
26. PUFFBALL-IN-ASPIC
Dan Molter, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0
Scientific name: Calostoma cinnabarina
27. BROWN LEAFY JELLY
H. Krisp, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 3.0
Scientific name: Tremella foliacea
Banner image courtesy of iStock.