"Cheerleaders" at the Mushroom Festival

Marasmius siccus, commonly known as the orange pinwheel, is a species of Marasmius common in rainforests of Indonesia. Only a day after the rain, the orange pinwheels will appear at the forefront of the mushroom festival. I prefer to call them cheerleaders.

The fungus occurs on fallen leaf litter or hardwood twigs that are damp due to rain. The stem is tall, thin, and blackish, but sturdy enough to support a pleated parachute cap like a beach umbrella. The cap is pale orange, thin, and has sparse gills.

Even though it is not exposed to direct sunlight, orange pinwheel hats dry out and wrinkle too quickly in hot weather. Yes, that's according to my observations.

These photos were taken in the forest east of Lhokseumawe city during the rainy season in November 2023.