About this fungus
Winter Bonnet is a fungus in the Mycenaceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
Dense little clusters of glossy dark bell caps on a hardwood stump at a season when few other bonnet fungi are fruiting.
What to check
Confirm broadleaf wood, clustered winter fruiting, a translucent-lined brown cap, pale attached gills and a slender stem that darkens from the base. Microscopy supports confirmation.
Variation
Wet caps are dark, shiny and strongly lined. Dry caps become paler, while stems often darken upward with age.
Lookalikes
Several Mycena species cluster on wood. Season and growth habit are useful, but spore and cystidial characters may be needed for a verified record.
Habitat and range
A European temperate species of decaying broadleaf stumps, often beech and alder, noted for fruiting from late autumn through winter during mild periods.
Food safety
Inedible.
Photographs
Photo: Andrejus Gaidamavičius · CC BY 4.0