Appears in fairy rings

A member of the Agarics (fungi with gills). This mushroom appeared in leaf litter in a garden in The Gap. Sometimes appears in fairy rings. Usually the centre of colonies dies and the only living part is around the outside edge, where the fruiting bodies can form, resulting in fairy rings. Note: Although it resembles the common edible mushroom in appearance and smell, this species is very toxic, especially in the raw state. Cap 10-40 cm, whitish to tan or yellowish white. Convex to conical when young, becoming convex to broadly convex or nearly flat in age. Dry, smooth at first, develops brown to pinkish brown scales that are uplifted or flat concentrated near the centre in age. Gills free from the stem, close, white when young, becoming grey to greenish to darker. Sometimes remaining whitish until well into maturity, making ID hard. Stem to 25 cm, sometimes slightly enlarged toward base, smooth, firm, white, sometimes discolouring slightly brownish, with a persisting, double-edged ring. Flesh is white throughout, sometimes discolouring slowly pale pinkish red or almost orange in the base. It is easily identified if you have mature specimens in hand, since it has a distinctive greenish spore print and, in old age, greenish gills. The common name comes from its synonym Lepiota morgani. Chlorophyllum molybdites is a toxic look-alike of Lepiota / Macrolepiota rachodes, a good edible species found in North America.

Mature mushroom from above. Photo: Robert Whyte

Mature mushroom from below. Photo: Robert Whyte