Community find

Mower's Mushroom

Panaeolus foenisecii

Group

gilled mushroom

Spore print

Dark brown (often described as chocolate brown or smoky brown).

Size

Cap diameter: 1-3 cm; Stipe: 40-80 mm long by 1.5-3 mm thick.

Season

Typically fruits from late spring through autumn when moisture and temperature conditions are favorable.

Habitat

Commonly found in lawns, grassy areas, parks, and meadows, especially after periods of rain. It grows directly on soil among grass blades.

Distribution

Cosmopolitan distribution; found widely throughout North America, Europe, and many other temperate regions worldwide.

Key characteristics

Small, brown, hygrophanous cap that changes color as it dries. Slender, brittle stem (stipe) and dark brown, mottled gills. Its cap is typically convex to bell-shaped.

Fruiting body

Cap is 1-3cm, convex, becoming broadly convex or bell-shaped; surface is smooth but may crack in dry weather. Gills are attached to the stem, close, and mottled as spores mature. The stipe is 4-8cm long, thin, fragile, and brownish.

How to recognise it

Look for its occurrence in well-manicured lawns, its hygrophanous cap (which turns tan as it dries from the center outward), and its dark brown (not black) spore print to distinguish it from other Panaeolus species.

Look-alikes

Panaeolus cinctulus (Band-fist Panaeolus), which has a darker spore print and more distinct cap banding; and various small Galerina or Psathyrella species.

Ecological role

Saprophytic, breaking down organic matter and decaying grass roots in soil.

Notes

This is one of the most common 'LBMs' (Little Brown Mushrooms) found in urban environments. It plays a significant role in nutrient cycling within turfgrass ecosystems.