Entoloma sericellum - Cream Pinkgill

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

This tiny white pinkgill is very common in grassy and mossy areas under broadleaf trees in parkland and in or on the edges of open deciduous woodland.

Although mainly seen as singletons or in small groups, Cream Pinkgills occasionally appear in arcs or in complete fairy rings. (The specific epithet sericellum refers to the silkiness of the cap surface, although this feature is unreliable as some specimens have very smooth caps.)

Identification guide

	Cap 0.6 to 2cm across, conical becoming convex, flattening with an undulating and slightly incurved margin; white, becoming pale ochre from the centre with age; surface usually silky smooth.
Gills	Sinuate; white, turning pink as the spores mature.
Spores	Pink.
Stem	2 to 3cm long and 2 to 3mm dia.; smooth; the base sometimes slightly swollen; white, becoming gradually yellow-ochre with age; no ring.
Odour/taste	Not distinctive.
Habitat	Usually in small groups under broadleaf trees in open woodland.
Season	Fruiting from summer to late autumn.
Occurrence	Widespread and fairly common.
Similar species	The Cream Pinkgill is often mistaken for one of the small white waxcaps such as Hygrocybe virginea, the Ivory Waxcap. The distinction becomes much clearer when the fruitbodies reach maturity, as the gills of the waxcaps remain white while those of pinkgills turn pink.