Lepiota felina

Lepiota felina

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Family: Agaricaceae

No dapperling is more dapper than this dark-scaled little mushroom of dense coniferous forests. Leopard-like in its spots, and with an almost black central eye stark against a white background, the cap is not difficult to find.

Often in small groups, these attractive mushrooms are fairly common in the kinds of acid areas where most large conifer plantations are sited. It looks good, and doesn’t even smell bad, but like other small dapperlings Lepiota felina is suspect and may be poisonous.

Identification guide

Side view of Lepiota felina

Cap

Initially hemispherical, becoming convex and sometimes almost flat with a slight umbo; white with a dark brown or black centre surrounded by concentric rings of relatively large (compared with other dapperlings of similar cap size) dark-brown scales.

Cap diameter at maturity ranges from 1.5 to 3cm.

Gills

The free, crowded gills are white or cream, darkening with age.

Stem

Creamy white; base slightly swollen; the persistent ring is creamy white on top and brown beneath. 2.5 to 4cm long and 2 to 4mm diameter.

Spore print

White or very pale buff.

Odour/taste

Not significant.

Habitat

Solitary or in small groups in coniferous forests and plantations.

Season

July to October.

Occurrence

Frequent.

Similar species

Lepiota ignivolvata has a bright orange or red-brown ring low down on the stem.

Lepiota cristata is typically larger with paler scales and has an unpleasant odour.