Omphalotus olearius (DC.) Singer (1946)

Blaszki żółte do pomarańczowych; gęste; zbiegające.

Trzon żółtopomarańczowy do złotobrązowego; 50-140 x 5-25 mm, równogruby, u podstawy nieco zwężony; powierzchnia z włókienkami, delikatnie filcowata; pełny.

Miąższ żółty, pomarańczowożółtawy; elastyczny; zapach słaby, nieprzyjemny; smak nieokreślony, niewyczuwalny.

Pileus orange-yellow to orange-brown; 40-120(150) mm, young convex, quickly with a depressed centre or funnel-shaped; surface dry, silky, with darker ingrowing fibrils; margin incurved for a long time.

Lamellae yellow to orange; dense; decurrent.

Stipe yellow-orange to golden-brown; 50-140 x 5-25 mm, equal, slightly tapered at the base; surface with fibrils, delicately tomentose; solid.

Flesh yellow, orange-yellowish; elastic; smell weak, nasty; taste indefinite, inperceptible.

Spore print whitish, pale yellowish. Spores subglobose, without germ pore, smooth, hyaline, 5-7 x 4.5-6.5 µm.

Not found in Poland. Needs warmer climate, found in the southern Europe up to south of Czech Republic. Cespitose or solitary on the stump of oak, chestnut tree, olive-tree (hence the name), rarely on other hardwoods.

Poisonous. Causes severe gastrointestinal disturbances.

Jest to jeden z kilku gatunków grzybów, których owocniki świecą w ciemności. Inne to np. opieńka miodowa właściwa (Armillaria mellea), Mycena citricolor i północnoamerykańskie szczepy łycznik ochrowy (Panellus stipticus).

Jack O'Lantern (Omphalotus olearius) has characteristic appearance. Usually reported as being mistaken for Chanterelle, Yellow Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius), but differs from it by growing caespitose on wood and by different colour and shape. It is one of a few species of fungi whose sporocarps glow in the dark. Other are e.g. Armillaria mellea, Mycena citricolor and Panellus stipticus (in North America).