Mulch Maids

Mulch Maids © GBarton

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

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.