Mycena rosea - Rosy Bonnet

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

The Rosy Bonnet, Mycena rosea, a larger relative of the Lilac Bonnet, Mycena pura, appears in autumn in deep leaf litter beneath deciduous trees. This is a poisonous species and should not be collected for food; it contains the dangerous toxin muscarine.

Although generally considered fungi of broadleaf woodland, Rosy Bonnets are also fairly common in coniferous forests on acidic soil, where they often form picturesque groups or lines close to tree trunks.

Identification Guide

Often persisting until the first frosts of winter, Mycena rosea is a very attractive bonnet mushroom and is most commonly found beneath beech trees and on roadside verges bordered by beech hedges.

	Cap 2 to 6cm in diameter, the caps of Mycena rosea are more bell-shaped and rather larger than those of the closely related species Mycena pura. The caps vary in colour from almost white to a deep pink.
	Gills Palid pink and crowded, the broad gills are deeply sinuate.
	Stem White or pale pink, smooth with longitudinal fibres, the stem tapers only slightly towards the apex. There is no stem ring. The base of the stem is slightly downy where it enters the leaf litter.
Spore print	White.
Odour/taste	When crushed, this bell cap smells strongly of radish; it also has a radish taste.
Habitat	Among leaf litter in deciduous woods and mixed woodland.
Season	August to November.
Occurrence	Fairly frequent.
Similar species	Mycena pura is usually slightly smaller and has a lilac cap with a central umbo; some mycologists still treat these as varieties of the same species.