Species details
Weeping widow
Lacrymaria lacrymabunda
Inedible
Photo: Annie Weissman · CC BY 4.0 · Photo source · License
Description
A brown hairy gilled mushroom whose young gills often bear dark droplets, growing in groups on soil or buried wood.
Identification features
Cap up to about 10 cm, brown, felted-hairy and often slightly umbonate. Gills change from pale ochre to very dark, almost black, with a pale edge. Stem is whitish to brownish and lacks a persistent ring.
Identification checklist
Check the brown hairy cap, very dark mature gills with a pale edge and possible droplets on young gills.
Detailed features
- Cap
- Cap up to about 10 cm, brown, felted-hairy and often slightly umbonate.
- Hymenophore
- The gills change from pale ochre to very dark, almost black, while their edges remain pale.
- Stem
- Stem is whitish to brownish and lacks a persistent ring.
Size
- Cap diameter
- ≤ 10 cm
Habitat
Grows in groups or clusters on soil, grass and buried woody debris from late spring to late autumn.
Fruiting period
May, June, July, August, September, October, November
Ecology
- Substrate
- Grassland, Buried wood
- Notes
- Grows in groups or clusters on soil, grass and buried woody debris from late spring to late autumn.
How to separate similar species
Similar brittlestems are fragile and dark-spored; atypical specimens may require microscopy.
Similar species
- Psathyrella species
- Pale brittlestem (Candolleomyces candolleanus)
- Lacrymaria species