Species details
Garlic parachute
Mycetinis alliaceus
Traditionally edible
Photo: Marasmius_alliaceus-Knoblauchschwindling.jpg : H. Krisp derivative work: Ak ccm · CC BY 3.0 · Photo source · License
Description
A small mushroom with a very long dark tough stem and a strong garlic smell.
Identification features
The cap is small, pale brownish to greyish, with pale relatively distant gills. The stem is very long, thin, almost black toward the base and tough.
Identification checklist
The most distinctive combination is a small cap, exceptionally long thin almost black stem and strong garlic smell. Smell is supportive, but also check fruitbody form and substrate.
Detailed features
- Cap
- A small mushroom with a very long, dark, tough stem and a strong garlic smell.
- Hymenophore
- The cap is small, pale brownish to greyish, with pale, rather widely spaced gills. The stem is very long, thin, almost black toward the base, and tough.
- Flesh
- Thin and tough.
- Smell
- Very strong garlic smell.
- Spore print
- Pale ochre.
Size
- Cap diameter
- 1–3 cm
- Stem height
- 8–10 cm
- Stem diameter
- 0,1–0,3 cm
Habitat
Saprotrophic on leaf litter, needles and small decaying wood in woodland; summer and autumn.
Fruiting period
June, July, August, September, October, November
Ecology
- Trophic mode
- Saprotrophic
- Substrate
- Leaf litter, Dead wood
- Notes
- Saprotrophic species. Saprotrophic on leaf litter, needles and small decaying wood in woodland; summer and autumn.
How to separate similar species
Other garlic mushrooms also smell of garlic but differ in stem length, colour, surface and substrate. Paragymnopus perforans is smaller with a different unpleasant smell. Do not identify from smell alone.
Similar species
- Mycetinis scorodonius
- Mycetinis prasiosmus
- Paragymnopus perforans
Interesting facts
Did you know? The strong garlic smell remains obvious even in a small fruitbody and is one of the most distinctive field clues.