Leucocoprinus cepaestipes
Journal de Bot., Paris 3: 336. 1889.
Common Name: none
Synonym: Lepiota cepaestipes
Cap 1.5-4.5 cm broad, at first narrowly ovoid, truncate at the apex, the margin conspicuously pinched to the stipe, in age the cap expanding to hemispheric, campanulate, occasionally broadly convex but seldom plane, a flattened umbo usually apparent at maturity; margin incurved, then decurved, striate, readily splitting, often hung with scattered veil fragments; surface dry, white to cream-colored, the disc smooth, elsewhere initially appressed fibrillose, soon developing small white to cream-colored scales turning buff-brown in age; flesh soft, thin, white, unchanging; odor and taste mild.
Gills free, close to crowded, moderately broad, white, becoming pallid to pale buff in age.
Stipe 2-6 cm long, 4-8 mm thick, slender, straight to sinuous, hollow, tapering to enlarged, somewhat bulbous base; surface dry, white, unpolished, discoloring yellowish-brown to brown where handled or weathering so; sparsely pruinose at the apex, otherwise smooth to minutely hairy; flesh white, unchanging; veil white, membranous, fused to the young cap margin, largely free from the stipe even early in development, in age leaving scattered fragments on the pileus, or a partial ring on the upper stipe.
Spores 8.5-10.5 x 5-6.5 µm, elliptical, smooth, with an apical pore, weakly to strongly dextrinoid; spore print white.
Scattered to clustered on woody debris, e.g. Monterey cypress twigs, also common on wood chips; fruiting from late summer in watered areas to early fall.
Maybe edible but poorly known; caution is advised.
This modest-sized, white Leucocoprinus fruits primarily in parks, gardens, golf courses etc., rarely in our native woodlands. Though fairly common on well decomposed woody litter during late summer, it's seldom encountered except in warm winters, when its fruiting season is prolonged. Important field characters are a typically campanulate, finely-scaled cap with a striate margin, a partial veil which may form a superior annulus or leave fragments on the cap, and the tendency to bruise yellow-brown to brown when handled.
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Desjardin, D.E., Wood, M.G. & Stevens, F.A. (2015). California Mushrooms: The Comprehensive Identification Guide. Timber Press: Portland, OR. 560 p.
Kibby, G. (2019). The genus Leucocoprinus in Britain with a key to species. Field Mycology 20(4): 129-134.
Lange, J.E. (1993). Flora Agaricina Danica (reprint Candusso) Vol. I. G. Biella: Saronno, Italy.
Murrill, W.A. (1911). The Agaricaceae of Tropical North America: II. Mycologia 3(2): 79-91.
Noordeloos, M.E., Kuyper, T.W. & Vellinga, E.C. (2001). Flora Agaricina Neerlandica—Critical monographs on the families of agarics and boleti occurring in the Netherlands. Volume 5. Agaricaceae. A. A. Balkema: Lisse, Netherlands. 169 p.
