Plants and animals of Pointfield

Small, short-lived mushroom. Cap reaching ca. 2 cm in diameter when open; initially tall and cylindrical before opening to become low domal. Mid-brown to light tan in colour in fresh specimens; later with tan core surrounded by a white zone then a grey-brown outer ribbed area; fading to cream with age; very fragile; no hairs but picae finely felty. Gills rather spaced, not deliquescing with age; adnexe making almost no contact to stem; a pale tan initially but rapidly turning black during the day. Stalk slender - to 55 x 2 mm; smooth and off-white to cream in colour.

Spore print black. Spores very dsrk and opaque; obvate, wider towards base and tapering slightly towards small sub-terminal germ pore which opens a little off-centre; somewhat flattened with large variation seen in max diameter cf length according to orientation. Size 11-14.3 x 8.6-10.8 um (mean = 13.4 x 10.0 um; n = 13).

May: In lawn outside french window in short grass. September: various places in short grass, near silver birches and in wildflower area.