Lately I've been seeing mushrooms pop up all over the place, which of course excites the little nerd inside of me. Unfortunately, most of the time when I've seen a cluster of mushrooms, I've been on the bus and, being as awful at directions as I am, I can never remember where I saw them. Such is life.
Today I spotted a couple peeking out from the grass not far from where I found the Milky Conecaps last month. In fact, at first glance I thought that's what they might be. However, it was the afternoon and we hadn't had any rain since yesterday, plus their caps weren't quite long enough. I like to describe Milky Conecaps as looking like almost-closed umbrellas. Instead, these mushrooms looked like tiny hats. So I snapped some pictures, put one in my bag and went on my way.
Although they turned out not to be Milky Conecaps, they are still somewhat closely related. These small buddies are called Common Conecaps, or Conocybe tenera. They enjoy similar habitats, and I found these ones in a park.
Like many mushrooms, the Common Conecap can change colour depending on the weather. When they are dry, they have a white appearance with a yellowish tinge, and when wet turn a darker brown. They tend to appear in scattered groups.
Characteristics
Habitat: In grass, notably lawns and parks. Also appears on woodchip mulch and leaf litter.
Cap: 1-4cm across. Conical at first, becoming bell-shaped. Ochre-brown or cinnamon in colour, becoming more yellowish or pale beige when dry.
Stem: 5-9cm long, long, straight and slender. White, flushed with cap colour. Fragile and hollow.
Gills: Adnate and crowded. Pale ochre, turning cinammon.
Spore print: Rust-brown
Season: Late spring to autumn
Edibility: Inedible
Don't be fooled by the name - "common" does not necessarily mean boring! Any mushroom is a fun find, regardless of what it is.
Disclaimer: I am not an expert. Never eat a mushroom you've found without confirmation that it is edible by an expert.
Today I spotted a couple peeking out from the grass not far from where I found the Milky Conecaps last month. In fact, at first glance I thought that's what they might be. However, it was the afternoon and we hadn't had any rain since yesterday, plus their caps weren't quite long enough. I like to describe Milky Conecaps as looking like almost-closed umbrellas. Instead, these mushrooms looked like tiny hats. So I snapped some pictures, put one in my bag and went on my way.
Although they turned out not to be Milky Conecaps, they are still somewhat closely related. These small buddies are called Common Conecaps, or Conocybe tenera. They enjoy similar habitats, and I found these ones in a park.
Like many mushrooms, the Common Conecap can change colour depending on the weather. When they are dry, they have a white appearance with a yellowish tinge, and when wet turn a darker brown. They tend to appear in scattered groups.
Characteristics
Habitat: In grass, notably lawns and parks. Also appears on woodchip mulch and leaf litter.
Cap: 1-4cm across. Conical at first, becoming bell-shaped. Ochre-brown or cinnamon in colour, becoming more yellowish or pale beige when dry.
Stem: 5-9cm long, long, straight and slender. White, flushed with cap colour. Fragile and hollow.
Gills: Adnate and crowded. Pale ochre, turning cinammon.
Spore print: Rust-brown
Season: Late spring to autumn
Edibility: Inedible
Don't be fooled by the name - "common" does not necessarily mean boring! Any mushroom is a fun find, regardless of what it is.
Disclaimer: I am not an expert. Never eat a mushroom you've found without confirmation that it is edible by an expert.
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