Parasol mushroom

Description

The parasol is a large mushroom with a parasol-shaped cap 10–30 cm, with a dark umbo and brown scales on a paler cuticle. It has crowded, white gills, a tall, slender stem with a movable ring and a characteristic pattern resembling snakeskin, and a bulbous base.

It grows from summer to late autumn at forest edges, in clearings, meadows, parks and by roads, singly or in groups, sometimes in rings. In Poland it is fairly common.

It can be confused with the deadly poisonous death cap (especially white forms and young fruiting bodies) and with the panther cap and small dapperlings. A clue is the snakeskin pattern on the stem and the movable ring, but you must not rely on a single feature. Collect only mature specimens and always look at the base of the stem.

Identification features

Cap

Diameter 10–30 cm (descriptions also give up to 25 cm), parasol-shaped, with a distinct dark umbo in the centre. Egg-shaped and closed when young, then conical, low-arched, finally flat and spreading. Cuticle cracked, flaking: brown in young fruiting bodies, whitish with large brown scales in older ones, which are easy to remove. Margin shaggy, usually white.

Hymenophore (underside of the cap)

Gills crowded, broad, free (not attached to the stem), white or pale pink in older age; in older specimens with an ochre bloom.

Stem

Length 15–40 cm (descriptions also give 12–40 cm), thickness up to 2 cm, cylindrical, ending in a bulb at the bottom (up to about 4 cm). Solid and spongy at first, later hollow, breaks easily out of the cap, fibrous. Ring movable, hanging. Below the ring darker, transverse bands forming a pattern resembling snakeskin; above the ring smooth, whitish-brown.

Flesh

White (according to some descriptions it may have a pale pink tint), does not change colour when damaged. Soft in the cap, stringy in the stem. Taste mild, pleasant; smell delicate, mushroomy-fruity (according to some descriptions nutty). Tasting unknown mushrooms is not recommended.

Spore print and spores

Spore print white. Spores ellipsoid, smooth. Size 15–20 × 10–13 µm (given only in some descriptions).

Habitat and distribution

Ecology. A terrestrial saprotroph. Grows singly, in groups or in fairy rings on permeable, loamy soils rich in calcium; avoids acidic and damp habitats. Ant-friendly; sometimes cultivated in a garden on a heap of wood waste.

Distribution. North America (possible, needs confirmation), Europe, Korea, Japan, New Zealand. In Poland fairly common throughout the country: at forest edges, in clearings, felled areas, meadows, parks, by roads and in cemeteries. Not legally protected in Poland; it is on the list of mushrooms approved for sale (Ministry of Health, item 10).

Fruiting. From summer to late autumn (in Great Britain from July to November).

What can it be confused with?

• Amanita phalloides (death cap, especially white forms and young fruiting bodies) — deadly poisonous — The death cap has a volva at the base, a stem without a snakeskin pattern and white gills at every age; the parasol has the pattern on the stem and darker scales on a paler cuticle. Collect only mature specimens, not at the egg stage.
• Amanita pantherina (panther cap) — poisonous — Amanitas usually have paler patches on a darker cuticle (the opposite of the parasol); the rule does not apply to all species.
• Chlorophyllum rhacodes (shaggy parasol) — Stem without scales and snakeskin pattern, flesh turns red when damaged.
• Macrolepiota konradii (star parasol) — Much smaller, has fewer but larger patches on the cap and a different pattern on the stem; the mistake is harmless.
• Chlorophyllum molybdites — poisonous — Gills slightly greenish, spore print greenish, no snakeskin pattern on the stem. According to some descriptions it does not occur in Poland; others state that its range may be expanding into Europe.
• Lepiota brunneoincarnata and other dapperlings (Lepiota) — poisonous, also deadly — Much smaller.
• Field mushrooms (Agaricus) — Brown spores, the gills of mature specimens are never white.

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 pattern on the stem has led to it being called the "snake cap" or "snake sponge" in some regions of Europe.
• It is easy to grow in a garden on a shallow heap of sawdust, wood waste and leaves, inoculated with spores from mature caps.
• Poczta Polska issued a stamp with the parasol on 31 August 2012 (face value 3 zł, print run 300,000).
• The Polish name was given by Stanisław Chełchowski in 1898; in folk usage it is called, among others, kania, sowa and parasolowiec.