▁Similar ▁species ▁The ▁closely ▁related ▁W yn nea ▁sp ar asso ides , ▁known ▁in ▁the ▁vern ac ular ▁as ▁the ▁" st alk ed ▁ca ul if lower ▁fung us ", ▁has ▁a ▁fruit ▁body ▁res emb ling ▁a ▁yellow - b rown ▁ca ul if lower ▁at op ▁a ▁long ▁brown ▁stem . ▁In ▁comparison ▁to ▁W .   amer icana , ▁W .   g ig ante a ▁has ▁ap othe cia ▁that ▁are ▁smaller , ▁more ▁rounded ▁at ▁the ▁tips , ▁more ▁numerous ▁in ▁a ▁single ▁spec imen , ▁and ▁pal er ▁in ▁color . ▁Donald ▁H . ▁Pf ister , ▁in ▁his ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁mon ograph ▁on ▁the ▁genus ▁W yn nea , ▁suggests ▁that ▁the ▁p ust ulate ▁appearance ▁of ▁the ▁outer ▁surface ▁clearly ▁distingu ishes ▁W .   amer icana ▁from ▁the ▁other ▁species ▁in ▁the ▁genus . ▁ ▁Hab itat ▁and ▁distribution ▁ ▁The ▁fruit ▁bodies ▁of ▁W yn nea ▁amer icana ▁grow ▁sol itar ily ▁or ▁in ▁clusters ▁on ▁the ▁ground ▁in ▁decid uous ▁for ests , ▁and ▁prefer ▁mo ist , ▁organ ic ▁so ils . ▁In ▁both ▁Asia ▁and ▁North ▁America , ▁fruit ▁bodies ▁are ▁most ▁often ▁produced ▁during ▁August ▁and ▁September . ▁The ▁single ▁Central ▁American ▁collection , ▁from ▁Costa ▁Rica , ▁was ▁made ▁in ▁early ▁November . ▁ ▁In ▁North ▁America , ▁W yn nea ▁amer icana ▁has ▁been ▁collected ▁from ▁several ▁locations , ▁including ▁Tennessee , ▁New ▁York , ▁West ▁Virginia , ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁Ohio