''Marasmius oreades'', also known as the fairy ring mushroom, fairy ring champignon or Scotch bonnet, is a mushroom native to North America and Europe. Its common names can cause confusion, as many other mushrooms grow in fairy rings, such as the edible '' Agaricus campestris'' and the poisonous '' Chlorophyllum molybdites''. It also resembles some toxic species, but is itself a choice

edible mushroom Edible mushrooms are the fleshy fruit bodies of numerous species of macrofungi (fungi that bear fruiting structures large enough to be seen with the naked eye). Edibility may be defined by criteria including the absence of poisonous effect ...

Description

The

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. The origin of the word "cap" comes from the Old French word "chapeau" which means "head co ...

is across; it is bell-shaped with a somewhat inrolled margin at first, becoming broadly convex with an even or uplifted margin. It usually retaining a slight central bump and is dry, smooth, pale tan or buff (occasionally white), or reddish tan; it usually changes color markedly as it dries out; the margin is sometimes faintly lined.Marasmius oreades
(MushroomExpert.com) The bare, pallid, and tough stem grows up to about tall and in diameter. The gills are attached to the stem or free from it, fairly thick and spaced apart, and white or pale tan, with a

cyanide In chemistry, cyanide () is an inorganic chemical compound that contains a functional group. This group, known as the cyano group, consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Ionic cyanides contain the cyanide anion . This a ...

-like odor and producing a white spore print. The

spores In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual (in fungi) or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plant ...

measure 7–10 μm × 4–6 μm; they are smooth, elliptical, and inamyloid. Cystidia are absent. The

pileipellis The pileipellis is the uppermost layer of hyphae in the pileus of a fungal fruit body. It covers the trama, the fleshy tissue of the fruit body. The pileipellis is more or less synonymous with the cuticle, but the cuticle generally describes ...

is without broom cells. Michigan_Marasmius_oreades_black_background

Similar species

It can resemble '' M. nigrodiscus''. This mushroom can be mistaken for the toxic '' Clitocybe dealbata'' or '' C. rivulosa'', which have closely spaced decurrent gills. The latter lacks an umbo and is white to grey in color. Some species of the '' Collybia'', '' Marasmiellus'', '' Micromphale'', and '' Strobilurus'' genera are also similar, sometimes requiring microscopic analysis to differentiate.

Distribution and habitat

''Marasmius oreades'' grows extensively throughout North America, especially the east where they are also more diverse, and Europe in the summer and autumn (May–November in the UK), or year-round in warmer climates. It appears in grassy areas such as lawns, meadows, and even dunes in coastal areas. It grows gregariously in troops, arcs, or rings (type II, which causes the grass to grow and become greener).

Edibility

Aside from its similarity to toxic species, ''M. oreades'' is a choice

. Mycologist David Arora calls it "one of the few nowiki/>little brown mushrooms">little_brown_mushrooms.html" ;"title="nowiki/>little brown mushrooms">nowiki/>little brown mushroomsworth learning". The mushroom reportedly has a firm, chewy texture and a meaty, spicy flavor. The mushrooms can be stored dry. Traditionally, the stems (which tend to be fibrous and unappetizing) are cut off and the caps are threaded and dried in strings. While used in foods such as soups and stews, its sweet taste lends it to baked goods such as cookies. The sweet taste may be due to the presence of trehalose, a type of sugar that allows the mushroom to resist death by desiccation.Marasmius oreades, the fairy ring mushroom, leprechaun.
Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month for March 2003 When exposed to water after being completely dried out, the trehalose is digested as the cells completely revive, causing cellular processes, including the creation of new spores, to begin again.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Edible fungi Fungi found in fairy rings Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America oreades