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Mycena zephyrus (Mycena zephyrus) is a small agaric fungus that belongs to the Mycena family and the genus Mycenae. First classified in 1818 and erroneously assigned to the Agarikov family. Its other names:
- marshmallow champignon;
- Mycena brownish common.
A small group of fruiting bodies in a pine forest
What do marshmallow mycenae look like?
Caps of young mushrooms are bell-shaped, with a rounded-pointed top. Over the course of life, they first take an umbrella-shaped, and then a prostrate form with a tubercle in the center. The margins of the caps are finely toothed, fringed, directed downwards; in overgrown specimens, they slightly curve upwards, showing the fringe of the hymenophore.
The surface is glossy-dry, mucous after rain, satin-smooth. The skin is thin, the radial lines of the plates are translucent. The color is uneven, the edges are noticeably lighter, white and cream, the center is darker, from beige and baked milk to chocolate-ocher. The cap diameter ranges from 0,6 to 4,5 cm.
Hymenophore plates have different lengths, wide, frequent. Slightly arched, not incremented, fringed edges. Snow-white, in old fruiting bodies they darken to cream-beige, with uneven red-brown spots. The flesh is thin, easily broken, white in color, with a characteristic rare smell.
The stalk is thin and relatively long, fibrous, tubular in shape, even or slightly curved. The surface has longitudinal grooves, unevenly fringed, slightly moist. Pure white color darkens to ash-purple towards the root, in overgrown specimens it becomes burgundy-brown. The length varies from 1 to 7,5 cm with a diameter of 0,8-4 mm. Spores are colorless, glassy.
Mycena marshmallow – a miniature mushroom with a translucent, like a glass leg
Similar doppelgangers
Mycena marshmallow is very similar to some related mushroom species.
Mycena fagetorum. Inedible. It has a lighter, brownish-cream hat. Its leg also has a grayish-brown hue.
Settles mainly in beech forests, forming mycorrhiza only with this species of deciduous trees.
Where do marshmallow mycenae grow?
The fungus is distributed throughout Our Country and Europe, is found in the Far East and Siberia. Mycena marshmallow prefers pine forests, and grows in mixed forests next to coniferous trees. Often it can be found in the moss, where its thin leg reaches a rather large length. It is not demanding on weather conditions and soil fertility.
The period of active fruiting is from September to November, and longer in the southern regions. Forms mycorrhiza with pines, less often with juniper and fir. Grows in large and small groups.
Mycena marshmallow often hides among forest debris, in grass and moss
Is it possible to eat marshmallow mycenae
It is classified as an inedible mushroom due to its low nutritional value, small size and unpleasant odor of the pulp. There is no information on toxicity.
Conclusion
Mycena marshmallow is an inedible agaric belonging to the genus Mycenaceae. You can see it everywhere in the forests or mixed pine-deciduous forests. Grows from September to November. Inedible due to thin pulp with a characteristic unpleasant aftertaste. There is no comprehensive scientific information about the substances that make up its composition in the public domain. Has inedible twins.
