Laccaria tortilis - Twisted Deceiver

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Laccaria tortilis is a diminutive member of the Deceiver clan and rather an uncommon find in Britain and Ireland. All Laccaria species are ectomycorrhizal fungi, forming symbiotic relationships with trees.

Some of the Deceivers are reportedly edible, but Laccaria tortilis is not generally considered safe to eat (and in any case these mushrooms are smaller than others in the genus and have tough stems).

Identification Guide

Cap	The pinkish-brown caps are sometimes no more than 0.5cm across and rarely larger than 1.5cm, convex at first becoming irregularly flattened, often with a slight central depression; the margins are irregularly wavy with striations reaching almost to the centre. Like other deceivers, the caps are hygrophanous and become a much paler pink when they dry out.
Gills	Pinkish, but generally a little paler than the cap; adnate and distant
Stem	1 to 2mm in diameter and 1 to 2cm tall, the pinkish-brown fibrous stems are usually bent. When young and fresh the stems are covered in white down (fine white hairs) towards the base.
Spore print	White.
Odour/taste	Not distinctive.
Habitat	Usually in small groups, most often on bare damp soil beneath willows or alders .
Season	June to November.
Occurrence	Uncommon.
Similar species	Laccaria laccata is much larger and has only a slightly striate margin. Laccaria amethystina is a violet coloured member of the same genus.