About this fungus
Stained Bonnet is a fungus in the Mycenaceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
A clustered wood-growing bonnet whose grey-brown fruit bodies become spotted or flushed reddish-brown.
What to check
Look for grooved translucent cap margins, pale grey gills with white edges, a whitish-haired stem base and red-brown spotting on several parts.
Variation
Young mushrooms may have no spots at all. Older ones can become extensively red-brown, so a single cluster may look mixed.
Lookalikes
Unspotted fruit bodies overlap with Mycena galericulata and other wood-growing bonnets. Microscopic spores and tissue characters may be needed.
Habitat and range
A saprotroph on decaying conifer and broad-leaved wood across temperate parts of Europe and North America. It often grows in groups or clusters.
Food safety
Inedible.
Species to compare
Similar mushrooms to compare against: