How to identify Butterscotch Mycena

To correctly identify Butterscotch Mycena (Mycena adscendens), 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.

   Convex, translucent-striate, pale yellowish-brown to whitish, often with a darker center. Diameter typically less than 1 cm.

2. 2

   Gills

   Attachment to stem, color, and spacing.

   Adnate to decurrent, widely spaced, whitish to pale yellowish.

3. 3

   Stem

   Length, shape, surface, and any ring.

   Slender, brittle, whitish to pale yellowish, often with a hairy or pubescent base. Typically 1-3 cm long and less than 1 mm thick.

4. 4

   Flesh

   Color, texture, and bruising reaction.

   Thin, fragile, and whitish.

5. 5

   Fruiting body

   Overall growth pattern.

   Small and delicate.

6. 6

   Habitat

   Where it grows and on what substrate.

   On decaying twigs and woody debris in forests, often in clusters.

Key Facts

Cap surfaces

Smooth, translucent-striate

Growth Form

Gregarious

Spore Print

White

Body color

Pale yellowish-brown to whitish

Odor

Butterscotch

Flesh bruises

No bruising reaction

Height

1-3 cm

Cap Diameter

Less than 1 cm

Fruit body characteristics

• Gill attachment: Adnate to decurrent
• Stem shape: Cylindrical
• Stem surface: Slightly hairy or pubescent at the base
• Ring: Absent
• Stem cross-section: Hollow

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