First Nature home page...  Fungi | Reptiles | Bats | Land Mammals | Birds | Fish | Insects | Amphibians | Wild Flowers | Trees
*** FLYFISHING COURSES *** THE BOOKSHOP *** 
SEARCH SITE...

Macrocystidia cuccumis

 
This brown caps of this attractive red-brown fungus are difficult to spot among the dead beech leaves that litter their most usual habitat. You are quite likely to find these fungi in disturbed sites beside country lanes.

Identification guide

Cap

The cap is pruinose and conical at first, becoming more shiny and bell-shaped with age but not expanding to become completely flat as some of the Entolomatacea do; diameter 1 to 6 cm; red-brown or date brown with the rim area a paler yellow-brown.

Gills

Cream at first, becoming pale pinkish-beige with age, the gills are broad, crowded and free.

Spores

Pale pink.

Stipe

3 to 8 mm diameter; cream or beige at the apex, graduating to dark brown at the base; velvety surface

Odour/taste

Not distinctive.

Habitat

Usually in small groups on disturbed, rich soil; most common under broad-leaf trees, particularly beech, but also in hazel coppices and occasionally under conifers

Season

Fruiting from July through to December; most abundant in October and November.

Occurrence

Widespread and fairly common.

Similar species

  1. Pluteus cervinus is more viscid and grows on rotting wood rather than in soil; its cap usually flattens, whereas caps of Macrocystidia cuccumis remain more bell shaped.
First Nature Multimedia Guide to Fungi
There is a lot more about this species and hundreds of other beautiful and fascinating mushrooms and toadstools on our CD-ROM for PCs with Internet Explorer. Details...

Special Offer including shipping (UK and worldwide)
Despatch within 3 days of receipt

* Credit Card/Debit Card/PayPal on-line ordering system...

OR

* Print-and-post order form (UK only)...


 Fungi | Reptiles | Bats | Land Mammals | Birds | Fish | Insects | Amphibians | Wild Flowers | Trees
*** FLYFISHING COURSES *** THE BOOKSHOP ***
Liability | Email us | Copyright