The Illinois Mycological Association is a group of fungal enthusiasts that meets frequently to learn about fungi through talks presented by experts, and to look for, identify and document wild fungi. We host monthly meetings with invited speakers, mycologist-led surveys to gather and document fungi, and an annual show at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
We welcome you to attend and learn more about fungi and the wild mushrooms of Illinois and the Chicago region.
April Mushroom of the Month: Urnula craterium // Devil's Urns
These goth spring harbingers show up just as the woods begin to thaw and are often spotted by Morel hunters as early as April. These fungi form thick, leathery cups shaped like little black goblets or charred urns, emerging from decaying hardwood—especially oak. Ecologically, they’re doing double duty: breaking down dead wood while occasionally behaving as weak parasites on living trees.
The inside of the cups are matte black which is the fertile, spore-bearing surface, and if the timing is right, you can gently blow on them and watch a soft, ghostlike puff of dark spores smolder into the air.
Urnula craterium are easy to miss if you’re only looking for the obvious prizes of spring. Once you start seeing them, they become part of your awareness of the seasonal shift – dark little signals that the forest is waking up, slowly but surely!
Text by Liz Weinstein.
Join your local mushroom club
Video by the Illinois Mycological Association.
Speakers: Patrick Leacock, Tom Volk, and Britt Bunyard.
Video created by James Strzelinski, Spiel.
Members of the Illinois Mycological Association post their mushroom photos to iNaturalist to record fungal diversity for the Chicago Region. Mycologist Patrick Leacock reviews a selection of recent observations organized by his Top Ten Lists of most common macro-fungi.
