Egghead Mottlegill /Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter / Inedible
The first time I came across the Egg head Mottlegill (Panaeolus semiovatus), I was struck by its delicate, egg-shaped cap and intricate mottled gills.
This is one of those fungi that catches your eye in horse pastures and other grassy areas, but it’s not a species you’d want to eat.
While not considered toxic, it’s certainly not edible, and frankly, there are far better culinary finds out there.
What makes this mushroom fascinating, though, is its connection to nutrient-rich environments—yes, it often grows on dung! But don’t let that put you off; it’s a great species to learn for identification practice.
In this post, I’ll share tips on how to recognise the Egghead Mottlegill and why it’s worth adding to your mental foraging library (even if it’s one to leave in the field).
Scientific Name
Panaeolus semiovatus
Common Name
Egghead Mottlegill
Family
Bolbitiaceae
Habitat
Saprophytic
Found in dung and mature soil, also common in fields with horses.
Mostly May to November but can be found all year round if there’s a mild winter.
Fairly common in the Britain, Ireland and Europe.
Identifying Features for the Egg head mottlegill:
A small and fragile fungi found growing on dung.
Cap:
2-6 cms thin and fragile
Hemispherical ( half and egg) hence the common name.
Greyish brown, smooth and satin like. Shiny when wet and wrinkled when very dry, usually lighter on the rim.
Stem:
Long and slender. 5-15 cm long and 2-5mm wide
Mostly the same colour as the cap becoming light towards the apex
Only common member of the genus that has a stem ring, this fragile and best observed on young specimens as it can wash or fade away.
Stem flesh is pale yellow and brittle.
Gills:
Adnate and crowded
Off white then as the mushroom matures and the black spores are released the gills look mottled brown eventually turning black. The edges on the gills are lighter.
Smell:
Not distinctive
Spores:
Black
Uses of the Egg head mottlegill
In food
Some resources say this is edible but the majority agree it’s inedible. Being so small it’s insubstantial and also grows in dung so best left.
Egg head mottlegill Could be mistaken for…
Other Panaeolus sp can look similar but the egghead is pretty easy to distinguish as already mentioned its the only common one in the genus that has a ring on the skirt
The dug roundhead Protostropharia semiglobata but has a flatter cap shape.
This doesn’t resemble any commonly picked edible fungi, but people going out looking for liberty caps psilocybe semilanceata could mistake the egghead mottlegill. The psilocybe semilanceata has a pointed umbo on the cap and a blue bruising stem.
Known hazards
non known