Cap
|
Initially convex, the ochre cap soon becomes
centrally depressed, occasionally with a noticeable umbo, and gradually
turns chestnut brown. The margin remains inrolled - hence the common name
Brown Roll-rim - and usually has a fluted edge. Downy in dry weather, the
cap surface is viscid when wet.
Caps expand to between 5 and 12 cm when fully mature, and the downy
surface becomes smooth when the caps are very old. |
Gills
|
Pale ochre at first, the gills gradually turn
brown as the fruiting body ages. Rusty spots appear, and if the gills are
bruised they very rapidly turn rusty brown, as has happened with the
specimen shown here.
The crowded gills are deeply decurrent. |
Stipe
|
8 to 12 mm in diameter and typically 6 to 12 cm long (but nearly
always curved), the stem is more or less parallel sided and light ochre at first,
becoming chestnut brown with age or if bruised. |
Spore print |
Sienna. |
Odour/taste |
Odour not distinctive; taste acidic.
Note: the Brown Roll-rim is now known to be a poisonous species
and may even be deadly. |
Habitat |
Under birch and other broad-leaved trees,
particularly where the soil is acidic. |
Season |
July to October. |
Occurrence |
Frequent. |
Similar species |
- Paxillus atromentosus, commonly referred to as the Velvet
Roll-rim, is a somewhat larger species with a velvety cap and a thick
short stem covered in dark brown down. It appears on and close to
conifer stumps.
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