Mulch Maids :

Leratiomyces percevalii

This mushroom, often adorned with brown scales and hanging veil fragments, thrives in grassy areas, roadsides, trails, and wood chips from mid to late winter.

Appearance

Cap cream to cream-buff, 2-6 cm., often with scattered brown scales, and margins with hanging veil fragments when young
True gills present on the underside of the cap
Spore print purple brown
Stipe (stem) is satiny or with brown fibrils, 5-13 cm. wide, and up to 1 cm. thick
Grows alone to scattered

ID Tips

May be confused with questionable stropharia (Stropharia ambigua) or spring fieldcap (Agrocybe praecox)
- Mulch maids
  - Cap has scales and less conspicuous veil fragments on margins
  - Grows in grass areas, along roadsides, on trails, and in wood chips
  - Spore print purple brown
  - Stipe (stem) is satiny or with brown fibrils and may have ring zone of darkened fibers
- Questionable stropharia
  - Cap has more conspicuous veil fragments on margins
  - Grows in natural woodlands
  - Spore print purple-black
  - Stipe (stem) is cottony and may have ring zone
- Spring fieldcap
  - Cap is smooth and no veil fragments on margins
  - Grows in grass and wood chips
  - Spore print brown
  - Stipe (stem) has thin fragile ring

Scales and Hanging Veil Fragments
© GBarton

At Edgewood

See iNaturalist for observations in Edgewood

About

Basidiomycetes – a major lineage of fungi that usually produce spores within basidia (club-like structures)
Found from mid to late winter
Saprotrophic – grows in grassy areas, along roadsides, on trails, and in wood chips
Edibility (San Mateo County Parks prohibits removal of any natural material)
- Unknown
- Unless you are an expert, do not pick and consume wild mushrooms

Learn More

Kuo, M. 2021, Mar. The gilled mushrooms. MushroomExpert.Com.

Roehl, T. 2017, Jul. 14. #013: Characteristics of division Basidiomycota. Fungus Fact List. Fungus Fact Friday.

Roehl, T. 2017, Jul. 7. #027: Gilled mushrooms (agarics). Fungus Fact List. Fungus Fact Friday.

References

Desjardin, D.E., M.G. Wood, and F.A. Stevens. 2016. California Mushrooms: The Comprehensive Identification Guide. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon.

Kuo, M. 2009, Feb. Leratiomyces percevalii. MushroomExpert.com.

Wood, M., and F. Stevens. 2024. Leratiomyces percevalii. The Fungi of California. MykoWeb.