Parasola (previously Psathyrella) conopilus

Ecology: Saprobic; growing scattered to gregariously or in loose clusters of 2-4 mushrooms (but not densely clustered) from the deadwood or litter of hardwoods, or from dung; found in hardwood forests or in cultivated areas; spring and fall; widely distributed in North America.

Cap: 2-5 cm; broadly conical, often becoming broadly bell-shaped or nearly convex; bald; sometimes becoming radially wrinkled; dull reddish brown, fading to buff; changing color markedly as it dries out; without veil remnants.

Gills: Attached to the stem; close; brownish at first, becoming dark purplish brown to nearly black; with whitish edges.

Stem: 6-19 cm long; up to 5 mm thick; equal; fragile; hollow; bald or very finely silky; white; without a ring.

Flesh: Thin; fragile; watery brownish.

Odor and Taste: Not distinctive.

Spore Print: Black.

Microscopic Features: Spores 14-19 x 7-8.5 µ; ellipsoid; with an eccentric pore; smooth; dark brown in KOH. Pleurocystidia absent. Brachybasidioles present. Cheilocystidia mostly fusoid-ventricose with a fairly long neck; hyaline in KOH; thin-walled; to about 70 x 20 µ. Sphaeropedunculate elements also present on gill edge.