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Gill Attachment

The second most important feature of a gilled mushroom is one that you may not think of with most mushrooms: gill attachment. How are the gills attached to the stem, if at all? There are two main categories for gill attachment: free and attached. When we say a mushroom has free gills we mean that the gills never reach over to touch the stem. This is quite noticeable in older mushrooms as there is a small area around the stem where there are no gills. It’s sometimes harder to see in younger mushrooms but still noticeable. The second category, attached gills, is further divided into degrees of attachment: Are the gills just barely attached (adnexed)? Do the gills run straight into the stem (adnate)? Or do the gills run down the stem for a little ways (de-current)? If this weren’t complicated enough, there is one other common possibility where the gills get short like they want to be free, but near the stem are de-current. These are called notched gills.
So how do you keep all of these attachments straight? Most people just divide gill attachment into four possibilities:

Free, Attached, Decurrent or Notched (where it’s understood that attached means not de-current and not notched). One rarely needs a finer distinction.
If You Suspect a Poisoning
If you suspect you have consumed a poisonous mushroom, contact a physician, the closest hospital ER, poison control center, or dial 911, depending on the severity of the reaction.

US Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
The North American Mycological Association (NAMA) has information that may also be of help. Click here.
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 We do not ID mushrooms through this website. 
If you are in need of an ID consider uploading quality photos with multiple views of your specimen and descriptions of your find to Mushroom Observer or iNaturalist including our projects or post in Wild Food Wisconsin or Mushroom Identification Group.

If you contact us and provide a way to get back to you, we may be able to provide suggestions for more identification resources you can use.
You are always responsible for your own decisions taken on the basis of identification resources.

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Wisconsin Mycological Society

Wisconsin Mycological Society (WMS) is dedicated to the study and enjoyment of mushrooms and other fungi throughout the state of Wisconsin. Education, safety, sustainability, community, and connecting with nature are our goals. 

We are affiliated with NAMA, a society that covers all of North America and includes many affiliate clubs. We also love to support regional  Wisconsin clubs and fungi related events. This includes the Madison Mycological Society and the Northwestern Wisconsin MycoEnthusiasts.

If you run or want to start a regional group, or one focused on a unique mycological topic, please do reach out to us.