The Weeping Widow (Lacrymaria lacrymabunda) is named for its gills, which bead with dark droplets in damp weather, as if weeping black tears. The shaggy, fibrous cap is orange-brown to yellowish-brown, often with a woolly fringe of veil around the edge, and the gills turn from mottled brown to black as the spores mature, with pale edges. The stem has a fibrous ring-zone that is soon blackened by falling spores.
It grows on soil in disturbed places such as paths, verges, parks, gardens and woodland edges, from summer into early winter. The Field Mushroom (Agaricus campestris) has pink young gills and a true ring. Although sometimes described as edible, it quickly turns to a black mush and some people have reported stomach upsets, so it is not recommended.
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Distribution
Widespread and common
Habitat
On soil in disturbed areas, pathsides, parks, woodlands and gardens etc.
Etymology
Lacrymaria is from the Latin lacrima, 'tear', after the weeping gills. lacrymabunda means 'full of tears'.
Cap
Fibrous and shaggy, with a woolly fringe of veil at the edge when young.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Shape | Convex, Parabolic |
| Surface | Fibrillose, Squamose |
| Width | 4 - 12 cm |
| Margin | Appendiculate |
Gills
The gills are sinuate to adnate and crowded, with a smooth, white margin, and are dark brown to black as the spores ripen. The edges weep a liquid, stained black by the spores, in damp conditions.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Attachment | Sinuate, Adnate |
| Spacing | crowded |
| Edge | smooth |
Flesh
Fairly thin, pale yellowish-brown.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Odour | Earthy |
Stem
Fibrous, with a ring-zone of fibres that is soon blackened by falling spores.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 - 12 cm |
| Width | 5 - 15 mm |
| Texture | Squamose, Fluccose |
| Shape | Cylindric |
| Veil | ring-zone |
| Veil position | superior |
Spores
The spores are black in mass, amygdaliform to ovate, 8-11 x 5.5-6.5 μm, densely warted with a large germ pore.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Shape | Amygdaliform, Ovate |
| Ornamentation | Warty |
| Size | 8-11 x 5.5-6.5 μm |
Microscopic Features
Cheilocystidia are abundant and capitate.
| Cheilocystidia | Capitate |
|---|
Classification
- ↳ Phylum: Basidiomycota
- ↳ Subphylum: Agaricomycotina
- ↳ Class: Agaricomycetes
- ↳ Subclass: Agaricomycetidae
- ↳ Order: Agaricales
- ↳ Family: Psathyrellaceae
- ↳ Genus: Lacrymaria
Synonyms
- Agaricus areolatus Klotzsch
- Agaricus lacrymabundus Bull.
- Agaricus lacrymabundus β velutinus (Pers.) Fr.
- Agaricus velutinus Pers.
- Coprinus velutinus (Pers.) Gray
- Hypholoma lacrymabundum (Bull.) Quél.
- Hypholoma lacrymabundum (Bull.) Sacc.
- Hypholoma velutinum (Pers. ex Fr.) Kummer
- Hypholoma velutinum (Pers.) P. Kumm.
- Lacrymaria lacrymabunda
- Lacrymaria lacrymabunda f. gracillima J.E. Lange
- Lacrymaria velutina
- Lacrymaria velutina (Pers.) Konrad & Maubl.
- Lacrymaria velutina f. gracillima
- Lacrymaria velutina f. gracillima (J.E. Lange) anon. ined.
- Psathyra lacrymabunda (Bull.) P. Kumm.
- Psathyrella lacrymabunda (Bull.) M.M. Moser ex A.H. Sm.
- Psathyrella velutina (Pers. ex Fr.) Sing.
- Psathyrella velutina (Pers.) Singer
- Psilocybe areolata (Klotzsch) Sacc.
Reference Sources
T. Læssøe, J. H. Peterson (2019) Fungi of Temperate Europe Vol. 1. Princeton University Press.
G. Kibby (2021) Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain & Europe Vol. 3. Geoffrey Kibby.
Genus Lacrymaria
No other species found in this genus.
