The Parasol (Macrolepiota procera) is a tall, imposing agaric. The cap begins egg-shaped, opens out like a bell and finally flattens around a dark central boss, with brown scales scattered over a paler buff ground. The slender stem is marked with zig-zag bands of darker scales and carries a thick, double-edged ring that slides freely along it when the fruitbody is old.
It grows singly or in small groups in open woods, pastures, verges and other grassy places, from June to November. It is widespread and common across the UK, and the large caps are easy to spot from a distance.
The main lookalikes are the Shaggy Parasol (Chlorophyllum rhacodes) and related Chlorophyllum species, which have a smooth stem without the snakeskin pattern and flesh that stains reddish when cut. These can upset the stomach. Small Lepiota species, some of them deadly, can look like young Parasols, so any specimen with a cap under about 10 cm, or a stem lacking the zig-zag banding, must be left alone. Never eat a mushroom unless you are certain of its identity.
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Distribution
Widespread and common
Habitat
In woods and pastures
Etymology
Macrolepiota comes from Greek makros, meaning large, and lepis, meaning scale, with the ending -ota, giving roughly "large scaly one". It refers to the big, scaly fruitbodies. The epithet procera is Latin for tall or slender, which suits the long stem that lifts the cap high above the ground.
Cap
The cap is egg-shaped at first, then opens into a broad bell and eventually flattens, keeping a rounded dark boss at the centre. The brown surface splits into shaggy scales as the cap expands, leaving the paler buff ground colour showing between them. The edge is often fringed and ragged, and the centre stays smooth and darker.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Width | 10 - 25 cm |
Gills
The gills are broad and crowded, and they stop short of the stem (free). They are cream, and may darken slightly towards the edge with age.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Spacing | crowded |
Flesh
The flesh in the cap is thick and soft, while that of the stem is fibrous and tough. It does not change colour when cut or bruised.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Odour | Maybe pleasant |
| Taste | Mild |
Stem
The stem is marked with irregular zig-zag bands of darker scales, giving a snakeskin pattern. The ring is complex and thick with a double edge, cream above and brown below. In old fruitbodies it comes loose and can be slid along the stem.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Height | 10 - 40 cm |
| Width | 10 - 30 mm |
| Veil | double-rings |
| Veil position | apical |
Spores
The spores are smooth and thick-walled, ellipsoid to almond-shaped, and each has a distinct germ pore. They are large for an agaric of this size, and the spore print is white.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Size | 12.5-16.5 x 8-11 μm |
Microscopic Features
Cheilocystidia (cystidia on the gill edge) are present and variable in shape, ranging from club-shaped or pear-shaped to flask-shaped or cylindrical.
Classification
- ↳ Phylum: Basidiomycota
- ↳ Subphylum: Agaricomycotina
- ↳ Class: Agaricomycetes
- ↳ Subclass: Agaricomycetidae
- ↳ Order: Agaricales
- ↳ Family: Agaricaceae
- ↳ Genus: Macrolepiota
Synonyms
- Macrolepiota procera (Scop. ex Fr.) Singer
Reference Sources
T. Læssøe, J. H. Peterson (2019) Fungi of Temperate Europe Vol. 1. Princeton University Press.
R. Phillips (2006) Mushrooms. Macmillan.
G. Kibby (2020) Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain & Europe Vol. 2. Geoffrey Kibby.
Genus Macrolepiota
No other species found in this genus.
