Mycena arcangeliana - Angel's Bonnet

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Most often found on stumps, fallen trunks and branches of Beech or Ash trees, but occasionally on other dead hardwoods, the Angel’s Bonnet is distinguished by its odour of iodine, which is most noticeable in dried specimens.

Although usually occurring in tufts (termed being 'fasciculate'), Angel's Bonnets quite often fruit as singletons, and so a gregarious habit is far from a reliable identifying characteristic.

Identification Guide

Cap	3 to 5cm across; conical, becoming bell shaped and eventually broadly umbonate; smooth with translucent striations; greyish brown tinged with yellow or olive when moist, drying pale grey.
Gills	Adnexed; gill edges slightly toothed; crowded; white turning pinkish grey.
Stem	4 to 8cm long and 2 to 4mm in dia.; white at the apex, the lower part grey tinged with olive; the base covered in white downy hairs; no ring.
Spore print	White.
Odour/taste	Odour of iodine; no distinctive taste.
Habitat	Mostly on fallen Beech and Ash, but occasionally on other fallen hardwood trees.
Season	July to November.
Occurrence	Common.
Similar species	There are many other small, bell-shaped fungi in the Mycena genus including Mycena polygramma and Mycena inclinata; however, the iodine odour of the Angel's Bonnet is a distinguishing feature.