fairyhouses - rosy bonnet

 

Mycena rosea, commonly known as the rosy bonnet, a larger relative of Mycena pura, appears in autumn in deep leaf litter beneath deciduous trees. This is a poisonous species and should not be collected for food; it contains the dangerous toxin muscarine.

Often persisting until the first frosts of winter, Mycena rosea is a very attractive bell cap mushroom and is most commonly found beneath beech trees and on roadside verges bordered by beech hedges. 2 to 6 cm in diameter, the caps of Mycena rosea are more bell-shaped and rather larger than those of the closely related species Mycena pura. The caps vary in colour from almost white to a deep pink.
When crushed, this bell cap smells strongly of radish; it also has a radish taste. It can be found among leaf litter in deciduous woods and mixed woodland from August to November.

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