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FunDiS West Coast Rare Fungi Challenge

October 2020 - March 2025
and we have added a new list of 100+ rare species for the extreme mycophiles to help us find.

Keep adding your observations to iNaturalist  OR Mushroom Observer!

How are the West Coast Challenge species selected?

Blog post by Else Vellinga - July 15, 2021

Help us find and document a target list of rare, under-documented or potentially threatened fungi. Scientists and conservationists need more data on these fungi in order to better understand and protect them. Your high quality observations can make a difference.

The West Coast Challenge Region:
4 States: CA, OR, WA, and AK
1 Province: BC
 

Participating is easy:

  1. Decide which of the fungi below might be growing in a habitat that you are planning to visit.
  2. Print out the information in the links for the species you’re interested in and bring it along, or have it handy on your phone.
  3. If you think you’ve found one of the Rare 20, follow the instructions on the pamphlet for each species. Consider emailing us at westcoast_rare@fundis.org to let us know, and to ask any questions.
  4. We are also very interested in other fungi that you might find in these habitats. Consider joining our iNaturalist Project and sharing your observation there. Instructions are here, if you’re unsure how to do this.
  5. Please get a collecting permit if you’re thinking of visiting an area where collecting is restricted. More information can be found here.

Species List
Amanita pruittii
Arrhenia lobata
Bondarzewia occidentalis
Cortinarius sierraensis
Dendrocollybia pycnoramella
Dictyocephalos attenuatus
Hygrocybe flavifolia
Hygrophorus goetzei
Hygrophorus nemoreus var. raphaneus
Hypocreopsis lichenoides
Lactarius cordovaensis
Lactarius rubriviridis
Lepiota luteophylla
Neoalbatrellus subcaeruleoporus
Pachycudonia spathulata
Phellinus artemisiae
Pseudaleuria quinaultiana
Ramaria purpurissima
Stereopsis humphreyi
Volvariella surrecta

The FunDiS West Coast Rare Fungi Challenge
2022 Target Species Poster 
View or download the poster to print.

The poster is an easy-to-reference guide to all of the Challenge's 20 target fungi. The poster includes the Latin name, the common name, a photo, the habitat, and distribution location for each species. 
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THE WEST COAST RARE 20



The Meadow Amanita
(Amanita pruittii)

Region: Northern CA and OR

Habitat: Wet grasslands, disturbed land

Season: October - December

 
View PDF Pamphlet



The Stalked Oddball
(Dictyocephalos attenuatus)

Region: CA, NV, AZ, four corners area

Habitat: Desert areas

Season: After spring rains/summer monsoons

 
View PDF Pamphlet



The Yellow-gilled Cypress Lepiota
(Lepiota luteophylla)

Region: Northern CA

Habitat: Under Monterey cypress

Season: November - February

 
View PDF Pamphlet


Manzanita Butter Clump
(Pachycudonia spathulata)

Region: CA coast range and Sierra foothills, maybe WA or OR

Habitat: Under Manzanita and Pacific Madrone

Season: Winter - early spring

 
View PDF Pamphlet



The Ghost Funnel
(Stereopsis humphreyi)

Region: Pacific Northwest: OR, WA, BC, AK

Habitat: Coastal Sitka spruce forests

Season: Late September - December

View PDF Pamphlet


The Lobed Oysterling
(Arrhenia lobata)

Region: Arctic and Alpine areas in the Pacific Northwest

Habitat: Wetlands, growing on moss

Season: May through August

 
View PDF Pamphlet


The Short Branched Dendro
(Dendrocollybia pycnoramella)

Region: California (so far)

Habitat: Growing Out of the Decayed Remnants of Other Mushroom Species in Moist, Dark Areas of Mixed-conifer Forests.

Season: December & January

View PDF Pamphlet


The Live Oak Waxy Cap
(Hygrophorus nemoreus var. raphaneus)

Region: California

Habitat: Coastal and Interior Live Oak Woodlands (Quercus agrifolia & Q. wislizeni).

Season: Winter

 
View PDF Pamphlet


The Cordova Milky
(Lactarius cordovaensis)

Region: Alaska

Habitat: Hemlock and Spruce forests near glaciers

Season: Late summer to fall

 
View PDF Pamphlet


Sagebrush Conk
(Phellinus artemisiae)

Region: California (so far)

Habitat: Associated with
Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), which covers most of the dry west

Season: Winter - early spring

 
View PDF Pamphlet



The Western Bondarzewia
(Bondarzewia occidentalis)

Region: Pacific Northwest

Habitat: Mature/old growth forests

Season: Fall in to winter

 
View PDF Pamphlet



The Golden-gilled Waxy Cap
(Hygrocybe flavifolia)

Region: Northern CA, maybe OR

Habitat: Coastal redwood forests

Season: October - February

 
View PDF Pamphlet



Little Blue Polypore
(Neoalbatrellus subcaeruleoporus)

Region: Northern CA, OR, WA and BC

Habitat: Under Western hemlock, Douglas fir, and other conifers

Season: September - January

 
View PDF Pamphlet


The Purple Prince
(Ramaria purpurissima)

Region: Northern CA, SW Oregon and NW Idaho; WA?

Habitat: Old-growth Forests; under Red and White Fir, Western Hemlock and Douglas Fir

Season: Fall - early Winter

 
View PDF Pamphlet

The Piggyback Pinkgill
(Volvariella surrecta)

Region: Forested mountain habitats from southern California to British Columbia

Habitat: Parasite on Clitocybe

Season: Fall

 
View PDF Pamphlet



The Red Sierra Cort
(Cortinarius sierraensis)

Region: Sierra Nevada Mountains

Habitat: Wetter Micro-habitats in Subalpine Lodgepole Pine Forests

Season: Summer and Early Fall,

 
View PDF Pamphlet


The Rosy Snowbank Waxy Cap
(Hygrophorus goetzei)

Region: West Coast

Habitat: Hemlock Forests next to Melting Snow

Season: Summer

 
View PDF Pamphlet



Willow Gloves
(Hypocreopsis lichenoides)

Region: High Northern latitudes

Habitat: Dense Willow Thickets near Water

Season: All year

 
View PDF Pamphlet


The Red-Green Truffle Milky
(Lactarius rubriviridis)

Region: Pacific Northwest

Habitat: Mid-to high-elevation forests under pine and true firs

Season: June

 
View PDF Pamphlet


The Fuzzy Peach Cup
(Pseudaleuria quinaultiana)

Region: Pacific Northwest

Habitat: Old growth forests, with Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce, and Western Hemlock.

Season: Spring

 
View PDF Pamphlet

October 2020 to April 2021 - By Sigrid Jakob

View the West Coast Rare Fungi Challenge Updates Archive.

About Fungal Diversity Survey

FunDiS is dedicated to a world in which the fungal kingdom is fully documented, understood, appreciated and protected.

Fungal Diversity Survey
10385 Green Meadow Rd
Sebastopol, CA 95472