Description
The clustered domecap grows in large clusters in which the stems are fused at the base. The cap is 5–10 cm across, grey-brown to dark olive, silky-shiny. The gills are white, then greyish-cream, and the stem whitish and solid.
It occurs from September to early December in meadows, gardens, on rubble, by roads and in deciduous forests. In Poland it is not common.
Clusters of grey mushrooms are easily confused with poisonous pinkgills or funnel caps, so check the spore print (white in the clustered domecap). If in doubt, do not eat it.
Identification features
- Cap
- Diameter 4–12 cm (descriptions give different ranges). Young hemispherically convex with a slightly inrolled margin, mature flat, with a sharp, slightly wavy margin. Colour grey, grey-brown to olive-brown-blackish, surface silky-shiny, finely radially fibrous, smooth.
- Hymenophore (underside of the cap)
- Gills first white, then greyish-cream (according to some descriptions they may yellow slightly with age), moderately crowded, of unequal length, notched with a tooth at the stem, slightly decurrent.
- Stem
- Length 5–13 cm, thickness 1–3 cm (descriptions give different ranges); irregularly cylindrical, solid, usually curved, sometimes eccentric. Whitish, silky-shiny surface, browning below with time. Stems in a cluster fused at the base. Without a ring.
- Flesh
- White, does not change colour when cut, firm, elastic. Taste insignificant, smell indistinct.
- Spore print and spores
- Spore print white. Spores globose, smooth, colourless, 5–7 µm in diameter.
Habitat and distribution
Ecology. Saprotroph, although sometimes also regarded as mycorrhizal. Grows on the ground, usually on disturbed soil: meadows, gardens, rubble, roads, paths, deciduous forests. Fruiting bodies grow in dense clusters, rows or fairy rings.
Distribution. Europe (described from Sweden), North America, East Asia (Japan, China). In Poland not very common. Not legally protected.
Fruiting. From September to early December (in Poland); in the USA on the West Coast from summer to spring.
What can it be confused with?
- Lyophyllum fumosum (Polish: kępkowiec ciemnoszary) — Darker cap, mealy smell, more fleshy; sometimes combined with L. decastes into a species complex.
- Lyophyllum loricatum (Polish: kępkowiec żeberkowano-żyłkowany) — Darker cap, cartilaginous flesh.
- Lyophyllum semitale, Pluteus petasatus — Similar species; detailed differences — no data.
- Entoloma spp. (pinkgills) and Clitocybe dilatata (a funnel cap) — Poisonous; confusion possible. Detailed differences — no data (pinkgills have a pink spore print).
Never rely on a single feature. If you are not sure — do not pick it; show the mushroom to a qualified mushroom expert.
Interesting facts
- The species is cultivated commercially in Asia on sawdust or bark compost.
- Described from Sweden in 1818 by Elias Fries.
- The domecaps L. decastes, L. fumosum and L. loricatum are sometimes treated as a single species complex.
Frequently asked questions
When does Clustered Domecap grow?
According to observations in Poland (GBIF) the season is: August – November; most records fall in October.
Where does Clustered Domecap grow?
Saprotroph, although sometimes also regarded as mycorrhizal. Grows on the ground, usually on disturbed soil: meadows, gardens, rubble, roads, paths, deciduous forests. Fruiting bodies grow in dense clusters, rows or fairy rings.
In the Gribo app this species also has a 3D model you can rotate, photos in the quiz and warnings when identifying with the camera. See how to get started.