Stropharia semiglobata - Dung Roundhead

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Commonly known as the Dung Roundhead, because of its cap shape and habitat preference, Stropharia semiglobata is frequently seen on common pasture land throughout summer and autumn.

Caps of this coprophilous mushroom are very variable in size, and sometimes the caps turn a lot browner than those shown here; this can make identification more difficult - at least until you have seen plenty of Dung Roundheads.

Identification Guide

	Cap The hemispherical cap is 1 to 3cm in diameter. It is viscid when wet; smooth and shiny when dry. The thin cap flesh is very pale; it is inedible.
	Gills At first pale clay-brown, the moderately spaced adnate gills darken to cinnamon with pale edges as the spores mature.
Stem	Concolorous with the cap, 2 to 3mm in diameter and 5 to 10cm tall, the smooth, slender stem is very pale at the apex and pale ochre below the transient ring; its flesh is solid and pale ochre. The ring zone is white at first but discolours purple-brown as the fruit body ages.
Spore print	Purple-brown.
Odour/taste	Not distinctive.
Habitat	On animal dung and freshly manured grassland.
Season	June to November.
Occurrence	Common.
Similar species	Panaeolus semiovatus also occurs on dung; it retains its stem ring and provides a black spore print.