About this fungus
Collared Parachute is a fungus in the Marasmiaceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
A tiny woodland mushroom with a pale pleated cap balanced on a hair-thin, shiny dark stem. Seen from below, the widely spaced gills and their little circular hub make the cap resemble a wheel or miniature parachute.
What to check
Use a hand lens to see where the gills end. They join a tiny collar that surrounds the stem rather than attaching to the stem itself. Also check for a white to cream pleated cap with a depressed brownish centre, a pale stem tip, a dark wiry lower stem and growth from dead wood.
Variation
Fresh pale caps may have only a small brown central spot, while wet or very young caps can look much darker. The gills begin white to cream and may become yellowish or ochre with age. Like many Marasmius species, dried fruit bodies can revive after rain.
Lookalikes
Marasmius capillaris also has a collar but normally grows from fallen leaves rather than sticks and has a rounder cap profile. Horsehair Parachute, Gymnopus androsaceus, has gills that attach directly to the stem rather than to a free collar. Substrate and the underside collar are more reliable than size alone.
Habitat and range
Saprobic on small dead sticks, branches, roots and other woody debris, mainly from broad-leaved trees in woodland and hedgerows. It can appear on moss-covered logs and only occasionally on conifer wood. It is widespread in Europe and eastern North America.
Food safety
Inedible.
Photographs
Bjorn Sothmann / CC BY-SA 2.0
James Lindsey / CC BY-SA 3.0