Macrolepiota mastoidea
Slender Parasol
Status:
Occasional
Large and scaly.
Cap:
12-15cm
Stem:
10-13cm
Probably from mastos, Greek meaning breast.
Description
Not as big as The Parasol (Marcolepiota procera) or the Shaggy Parasol (Chlorophyllum rhacodes) but can still grow quite large. It has fewer obvious scales compared to that of some of the similar species. Starts off with a rounded cap which until it expands appears to have no ring. The ring itself can sometimes become free and fall to the bottom of the mushroom.
Smell
Not distinctive.
Season
Autumn.
Habitat & Distribution
Said to be more common in the south of the UK, it inhabits open deciduous woodland, pasture and often sand dunes and coastal grassland.
Edibility
Edible and good. Care should be taken to ensure you do not mistakenly pick the Shaggy Parasol (Chlorophyllum rhacodes) which can cause stomach pain and vomiting in some people.
Confusion Species
Spores
13-17 x 8-10µm, smooth, ellipsoid.
Spore Print Colour
White.
Many of the other Parasols are similar, but this species does not have obvious dark scales like that of the Brown Parasol (Chlorophyllum brunneum), does not have the shaggy scales of that of the Shaggy Parasol (Chlorophyllum rhacodes) and does not have the ‘snakeskin’ like pattern on the stem like that of The Parasol (Macrolepiota procera).