About this fungus
Blue Roundhead is a fungus in the Hymenogastraceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
A slimy blue-green mushroom when young, often with small pale veil flecks around the cap edge. Its colour fades markedly, so older specimens can look straw-coloured or tan.
What to check
Look for a sticky cap, gills that mature from pale grey to purple-brown, and a weak ring zone that may disappear. The stem is smoother above this zone and fibrous or slightly scaly below it. There is no volva.
Variation
Blue-green colour is strongest in fresh young caps and fades from the centre as the surface dries. Rain may also remove veil fragments and leave an older specimen almost unrecognisable by cap colour alone.
Lookalikes
Verdigris Roundhead usually has a stronger veil and more persistent blue-green colour, but the two can overlap. Aniseed Funnel has a drier cap and an aniseed odour. Gill development, veil remains and cap texture should be used together.
Habitat and range
Saprotrophic among grass, leaf litter, humus and woodchip in woodland edges, parks, gardens and roadsides. It is best documented in Europe and introduced populations may occur elsewhere.
Food safety
Inedible.
Photographs
Jerzy Opioła / CC BY-SA 3.0