Community find

Deceiver

Laccaria laccata

Group

gilled mushroom

Season

Summer to late autumn; common throughout the rainy periods of these seasons.

Habitat

Grows in varied environments including woodlands (both coniferous and deciduous), heathlands, and parklands. It is frequently found on the ground among leaf litter or moss.

Key characteristics

Convex to flattened cap with a central depression, reddish-brown to pinkish-flesh colored, fading when dry (hygrophanous). The surface is often scurfy or slightly scaly. Gills are thick, widely spaced, and adnate to slightly decurrent, sharing the color of the cap. The stem is tough, fibrous, and colored similarly to the cap. Spore print is white.

Look-alikes

Laccaria proxima (larger, with a more scurfy stem), Laccaria bicolor (distinguished by lilac-colored mycelium at the base), and various small Galerina or Mycena species which differ in spore color and gill structure.

Ecological role

Mycorrhizal fungus that forms symbiotic relationships with various tree species, aiding in nutrient and water uptake for the host plant while receiving carbohydrates in return.