Community find

Deceiver

Laccaria laccata

Group

Gilled mushroom

Season

Summer to late autumn, often after rain.

Habitat

Widely distributed, growing solitarily or in groups on soil in woodlands, particularly under conifers and deciduous trees. It is a mycorrhizal species.

Key characteristics

Cap: 1-6 cm wide, convex to flat, often with a central depression, color varies from reddish-brown to orange-brown or buff, fading to buff or tan when dry. Gills: Widely spaced, adnate to decurrent, thick, pinkish to reddish. Stem: 3-10 cm long, 3-10 mm thick, central, fibrous, same color as cap or paler, often with fine striations. Spore print: White. Flesh: Thin, tough, same color as the cap.

Look-alikes

Other Laccaria species, such as Laccaria amethystina (Amethyst Deceiver), which has a violet cap and gills. Galerina species can look superficially similar but typically have a brown spore print and a ring on the stem.

Ecological role

Mycorrhizal, forming symbiotic relationships with tree roots to facilitate nutrient and water exchange between the fungus and the host plant.