I am perhaps one of the few people who, upon hearing it was going to rain all day today, jumped for joy. My husband and I had planned to go for a walk through the woods today as soon as we heard it was going to rain. What better way to celebrate the start of mushroom season than by looking for them in prime conditions?
We weren't disappointed either, as we found many species poking through the woodland, including the Collared Parachute, or Marasmius rotala.
These babies are even smaller than the Twig Parachutes that I wrote about a few weeks ago, so it's a miracle I even noticed them. Luckily, their distinctive white caps, though tiny, stood out amongst the greenery. There were quite a few groups of them growing on fallen twigs.
Despite their small size, Collared Parachutes tend to have extremely long stems, some of which reach the length of 7cm. Needless to say, they are extremely fragile.
They get their name from the way their gills attach. While most mushrooms have gills which attach directly to the stem, Collared Parachutes have gills which attach to a "collar" - a sort of ring which separates the widely-spaced gills from the stem. This is a distinguishing feature, as it is the often the easiest way to tell them apart from the similar Horsehair Parachute.
Characteristics
Habitat: On dead twigs and roots, sometimes on leaves. Usually in groups.
Cap: 0.5-1.5cm across, convex and flattened in the centre. Ribbed like a parachute. White in colour, sometimes darker in the centre.
Stem: Up to 7cm long, white at the top, dark brown below.
Gills: Very distant and adnate, attached to a "collar". White.
Spore print: White
Season: Summer to winter
Edibility: Inedible
Keep your eyes peeled next time you're out for a walk in the woods - it's often the smaller fungi which are the biggest treasures.
Disclaimer: I am not an expert. Never eat a mushroom you've found without confirmation that it is edible by an expert.
We weren't disappointed either, as we found many species poking through the woodland, including the Collared Parachute, or Marasmius rotala.
These babies are even smaller than the Twig Parachutes that I wrote about a few weeks ago, so it's a miracle I even noticed them. Luckily, their distinctive white caps, though tiny, stood out amongst the greenery. There were quite a few groups of them growing on fallen twigs.
Despite their small size, Collared Parachutes tend to have extremely long stems, some of which reach the length of 7cm. Needless to say, they are extremely fragile.
They get their name from the way their gills attach. While most mushrooms have gills which attach directly to the stem, Collared Parachutes have gills which attach to a "collar" - a sort of ring which separates the widely-spaced gills from the stem. This is a distinguishing feature, as it is the often the easiest way to tell them apart from the similar Horsehair Parachute.
Characteristics
Habitat: On dead twigs and roots, sometimes on leaves. Usually in groups.
Cap: 0.5-1.5cm across, convex and flattened in the centre. Ribbed like a parachute. White in colour, sometimes darker in the centre.
Stem: Up to 7cm long, white at the top, dark brown below.
Gills: Very distant and adnate, attached to a "collar". White.
Spore print: White
Season: Summer to winter
Edibility: Inedible
Keep your eyes peeled next time you're out for a walk in the woods - it's often the smaller fungi which are the biggest treasures.
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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