Community find

Cluster Brittlestem

Psathyrella piluliformis

Group

gilled mushroom

Season

Late spring, summer, and autumn, often fruiting after periods of rain.

Habitat

Saprophytic, growing in dense clusters on decaying hardwood logs, stumps, and buried wood. Can sometimes appear on disturbed ground where wood debris is present. Prefers moist conditions.

Key characteristics

Cap: 2-7 cm in diameter, initially bell-shaped and reddish-brown, fading to buff or pale brown with age. Smooth, often hygrophanous (changes color with moisture). Gills: Adnate to adnexed, close, initially whitish, becoming purplish-brown to blackish with white edges. Stem: 4-10 cm long, 3-8 mm thick, fragile, whitish, often hollow, and may have a faint ring zone from the partial veil which typically disappears quickly. Spore print: Dark purplish-brown. Flesh: Whitish, thin, and fragile.

Look-alikes

P. candolleana (Common Crumble Cap) has a paler cap, often with veil remnants on the cap margin, and usually grows scattered or in smaller groups. P. conopilea (Conical Brittlestem) has a distinctly conical cap. Other small, brown Psathyrella species can be difficult to distinguish without microscopic examination.

Ecological role

Decomposer (saprophytic). It plays a crucial role in the decomposition of dead hardwood, cycling nutrients back into the ecosystem, which is vital for forest health.