The Zoned Gymnopus is a widely distributed gilled mushroom that can be found in the springtime in soil and well decomposed wood.

It's closely related to the Oak-Loving Gymnopus, and can be separated by a few field characteristics:

• Its growth habit on soil or wood rather than leaf litter.
• Yellow gills rather than white.
• Occasonal color zonation on the cap (as compared to solid chestnut color in the Oak-Loving Gymnopus).
• Reddish rhyzomorphs rather than white.

July 12th, 2023 Field Notes - Indian Cave State Park

• Growing gregariously in moss in open mixed oak woodland edge.
• Nearby Trees: American Hophornbeam, Black Oak, Northern Red Oak, Chinkapin Oak and distant Black Cherry.
• Cap hygrophanous with slight rosecomb mutation on the center and light margin.
• Gills pale orange, short gills frequent, and notched with a decurrent tooth on stipe.
• Smell: rubbery
• KOH: darkening all surfaces.