Deceiver Laccaria laccata

Scientific Name: Laccaria laccata (Hydnangiaceae). Both 'laccaria' and 'laccata' mean 'lacquered'.

English Name: Deceiver (Deceivers family).

French Name: Laccaire laqué (='lacquered lacquered').

5 Key Characters:

• usually grows in groups.
• cap colour can be very variable (which is the reason for the English name) from dark tan or orange to off white.
• hollow fibrous stems.
• caps convex when young, flattening out as the mushroom ages, 2 - 7 cm across.
• stem 6 - 10 mm in diameter and 5 - 10 cm in height.

Lookalikes: Other Laccaria spp, especially when old and faded.

Habitat: Leaf litter in mixed woodland or heathland.

Fruiting Period: June-July-August-September-October-November-December.

Status: Very common.

Edible or Toxic? Edible caps, stems are too fibrous to be nice eating.

Photographed by Loire Valley Nature: