Calocybe gambosa

Appearing in April, Calocybe gambosa has the common name St George's Mushroom. It is a good edible species, distinguished from other pale species of springtime by its mealy smell.

Fruiting from April to June (the common name derives from St George's Day, 23rd April, when this mushroom can usually be found), Calocybe gambosa is usually the first of the large edible fungi to appear.

Cap	5 to 15 cm diameter; initially almost spherical, becoming convex and sometimes almost flat; often misshapen but retaining an incurved margin. The cap surface is smooth and white with a light brown tinge that sometimes becomes tan with age. Firm and white, the cap flesh is prone to maggot infestation as the fruitbody ages, and so only fresh young specimens are worth collecting.
Gills	The sinuate gills are white, narrow and very crowded.
Stipe	2 to 4 cm wide and solid, usually curved and slightly thicker at the base, the stem is 3 to 7 cm tall. There is no stem ring.
Spore print	White.
Odour/taste	Mealy odour and taste.
Habitat	In cropped pastures and mown roadside verges; occasionally in mixed woodland.
Season	April to June.
Occurrence	Infrequent.
Similar species	Could be confused with the deadly poisonous Inocybe patouillardii, the Red Staining Inocybe, which can appear at woodland edges towards the end of spring; its pale pink gills are adnexed and they turn red when bruised. The mealy smell of Calocybe gambosa helps in its identification, but other white fungi occur later in the year that also have a mealy odour - for example, Clitopilus prunulus, The Miller, which has decurrent gills..

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Calocybe gambosa

Cap

Gills

Stipe

Spore print

Odour/taste

Habitat

Season

Occurrence

Similar species