A Velvety Psathyrella in Howard Co., Maryland (6/16/2016). Mottled mature gills with white, minutely serrated edges; spore-blackened ring zone present on upper stalk.
Spores collected from a Velvety Psathyrella specimen in Howard Co., Maryland (10/9/2020). (c) Joanne and Robert Solem, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
Cap: Bell-shaped to broadly convex, tawny to reddish-brown, hairy to scaly, usually with veil remnants along margins; Gills: Yellowish-brown eventually becoming mottled black with white edges, initially covered with a cobweb-like veil; Stalk: Light with sparse, spore-blackened ring zone (J. Solem, pers. comm.).
Where To Find
Alone or in groups; open, grassy woods, trails, and wood margins (J. Solem, pers. comm.).
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A Velvety Psathyrella in Howard Co., Maryland (6/16/2016). Cap with fibrils; veil remnants along margin.
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Media by
Joanne Solem.
A Velvety Psathyrella in Howard Co., Maryland (6/16/2016). Mottled mature gills with white, minutely serrated edges; spore-blackened ring zone present on upper stalk.
View Record Details
Media by
Joanne Solem.
Velvety Psathyrella in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/27/2008). (c) eaglebeach, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
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Lynn Strauss.
Velvety Psathyrella in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/27/2008). (c) eaglebeach, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
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Media by
Lynn Strauss.
Velvety Psathyrella spores collected in Howard Co., Maryland (6/16/2016). Ellipsoid w/ protruding germ pore, unconnected warts, dark brown; measured 9.5-9.9 X 6.1-6.6 microns.
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Media by
Robert Solem.
Spores collected from a Velvety Psathyrella specimen in Howard Co., Maryland (10/9/2020). (c) Joanne and Robert Solem, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
View Record Details
Media by
Joanne Solem.
Lacrymaria lacrymabunda, commonly known as the weeping widow mushroom,[2] is a species of fungus in the familyPsathyrellaceae. It is found in North America, Central America, Europe, northern Asia, and New Zealand, where it grows on disturbed ground in woodland, gardens, and parks. Although it is sometimes listed as an edible species, some individuals report developing stomach upset after eating it.[3]
It has jet black, heavily ornamented spores and a fragile, brittle consistency.