Rosy Bonnet (Mycena rosea) Identification -

Rosy Bonnet / Summer / Autumn / Toxic

Quartl, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Björn S…, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Robert Flogaus-Faust, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Scientific Name

Mycena rosea

Common Names

Rosy hat, Rosy Bell cap

Family

Mycenaceae

Habitat

They are saprotrophic, living off dead matter, they are mostly found in mixed or coniferous woodlands, on acidic soils.

Description

Less common than the very closely related Lilac Bonnet (Mycena pura) they tend to be larger, both contain the toxin muscarine so should be avoided.

Identifying Features:

Cap:

Bell shaped and then flattening out with a central raised umbo. They can be quite changeable. They are typically lilac in colour with a paler almost white edge. Up to 6cm across. They tend to turn up at their edges as they grow showing the pale gills.

Robert Flogaus-Faust, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Stem:

Thin, fibrous and quite often twisted, tapering towards the base. They are smooth and grey. Up to 8 cm long and is broader then the stem of the Lilac Bonnet.

Björn S…, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Gills:

The gills are white to grey, with a slight pink tinge. Adnate to slightly decurrent.

Smell:

A raddishy smell when they are damaged.

Spores:

White.

Known hazards

They contain the toxin muscarine although in small quantities, they should be avoided.

Potential lookalikes

They could be confused with other bonnet species for example the Common Bonnet (Mycena galericulata) but these have paler caps and have much more complex gills.

The Lilac Bonnet (Mycena pura) also looks similar in fact some believe they are the same species. Pura tends to be smaller and is also toxic.