How to identify Fairy Parachute

To correctly identify Fairy Parachute (Marasmiellus candidus), check each of these features in order. Misidentification is the most common cause of mushroom poisoning, so cross-reference multiple sources.

Step-by-step identification

1. 1

   Cap

   Shape, color, surface texture, and diameter.

   The cap is typically 0.5-2 cm (0.2-0.8 inches) in diameter, convex to plano-convex, often becoming depressed in the center with age. It is pure white, sometimes translucent, especially when wet, and can be slightly striate (grooved) near the margin. The surface is smooth and dry.

2. 2

   Gills

   Attachment to stem, color, and spacing.

   The gills are adnate to adnexed, sometimes appearing almost free, and are widely spaced. They are white, relatively broad for the size of the mushroom, and often have a somewhat collariate (collar-like) attachment to the stem. They are typically few in number.

3. 3

   Stem

   Length, shape, surface, and any ring.

   The stem is 1-4 cm (0.4-1.6 inches) long and 0.5-1.5 mm (0.02-0.06 inches) thick, very slender, wiry, and tough. It is white, often translucent, and can be slightly pruinose (powdery) near the apex. It is typically central, cylindrical, and often arises from a small, disc-like base attached to the substrate.

4. 4

   Flesh

   Color, texture, and bruising reaction.

   The flesh is very thin, white, and fragile, with no distinctive odor or taste.

5. 5

   Fruiting body

   Overall growth pattern.

   The fruiting body is small, entirely white, and delicate, resembling a miniature parachute or pinwheel.

6. 6

   Habitat

   Where it grows and on what substrate.

   Saprobic, growing on decaying plant material such as small twigs, leaves, herbaceous stems, and sometimes on mosses or bark. It prefers damp, shaded environments in deciduous and mixed forests.

Key Facts

Cap surfaces

Smooth, dry, sometimes translucent and striate when wet

Growth Form

Scattered to gregarious

Spore Print

White

Body color

Pure white throughout

Odor

Indistinct

Flesh bruises

Does not bruise

Height

1-4 cm (0.4-1.6 inches)

Cap Diameter

0.5-2 cm (0.2-0.8 inches)

Fruit body characteristics

• Gill attachment: Adnate to adnexed, sometimes collariate
• Stem shape: Cylindrical, wiry
• Stem surface: Smooth, sometimes pruinose near apex
• Ring: Absent
• Stem cross-section: Circular

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