Clustered Domecap Mushroom (Lyophyllum decastes) Foraging

Clustered Domecap Cap / Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible


Scientific Name

Lyophyllum decastes


Common Name

Clustered domecap, Fried chicken mushroom, Gravel mushroom, Chicken mushroom


Family

Lycophyllaceae


Habitat and season

Late summer – November 

Grows out the ground (not on wood) in a variety of places- grass, leaf litter, gravel and in grass under trees. 

Common and numerous 


Identifying Features of the Clustered Domecap

Cap:

Can be variable. 

Texture- can be greasy or have a satin appearance

Colour- often marbled colours of off white, grey’s and browns. When the cluster is separated the covered parts of the cap are often lighter.

Shape- convex to dome shape often distorted, irregular margin

4-10cm across

Cap margin slightly enrolled on young specimens 

Clustered Domecap

 


Stem:

Off white, more so with age

Young specimens have a hollow in the stem which can be lost with age

Often a little distorted in shape and fused together in clusters 

No ring 

4-8 cm long 

 


Gills:

Off white, yellowing with age

Densely arranged

Adnate and Adnexed (touching the stem either straight or with a curve) some time Emarginate 

Shorter intermediate gills 

 


Smell:

Many people get a distinct boiled chicken smell or just pleasant mushroomy smell. 


Spores

White


Uses for the Clustered Domecap

Known to cause stomach upset in some, but to those who can eat it it’s a delicious edible mushroom, texture is very meaty and a little like Enoki. Amazing just fried in butter but especially in soups or battered and fried. 

If consuming for the  first time, try only a small amount incase it doesn’t agree with you. 

This mushroom must be cooked 


Conservation Considerations 

Very common, not of concern. 


Clustered Domecap Could Be Confused With

We don’t believe that this is a beginner mushroom

The key feature of clustered dome cap to separate it from its potentially toxic look-alikes is the way it’s clustered together as the name suggests, often even fused together at the base.

The Cucumber Cap, Macrocystidia cucumis, could possibly be confused but has many differences. First of all it has a different smell of cucumber or fish, it has a darker cap with a distinct light beige margin. The gills are free rather than being attached to the stem. With a pale pink brown spore print. The Cucumber cap is in the Tough shank family, many others in this family resemble the clustered dome cap but are usually smaller with more slender stems, none are known to be seriously toxic. 

Many Tricholoma can have a similar features but mostly appear not clustered or fused together. 


Caution and known hazards 

Causes gastric upset in some individuals 

likes to grow in gravel of car parks so take into consideration the likely pollution accumulation.


Extra Tips and Fun Facts

The name Decastes come from the Latin meaning occurring in ten referring to its clustered feature.


Resources

More detail on the fungi

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