How to identify Bonnet

To correctly identify Bonnet (Mycena), 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.

   Conical to bell-shaped, typically less than 3 cm in diameter. Colors range from white to gray, brown, or pink. The surface can be smooth or slightly wrinkled.

2. 2

   Gills

   Attachment to stem, color, and spacing.

   Adnate to decurrent, often widely spaced. The color is usually pale, matching the cap.

3. 3

   Stem

   Length, shape, surface, and any ring.

   Thin, fragile, and often translucent. The surface can be smooth or hairy. Colors vary but are usually pale.

4. 4

   Flesh

   Color, texture, and bruising reaction.

   Thin and fragile.

5. 5

   Fruiting body

   Overall growth pattern.

   Small and delicate, often with a translucent or striate cap.

6. 6

   Habitat

   Where it grows and on what substrate.

   Found on decaying wood, leaf litter, or moss in forests and woodlands.

Key Facts

Cap surfaces

Smooth or slightly wrinkled.

Growth Form

Saprotrophic.

Spore Print

White.

Body color

White, gray, brown, or pink.

Odor

Variable.

Flesh bruises

Does not typically bruise.

Height

1-5 cm.

Cap Diameter

0.5-3 cm.

Fruit body characteristics

• Gill attachment: Adnate to decurrent.
• Stem shape: Cylindrical.
• Stem surface: Smooth or hairy.
• Ring: Absent.
• Stem cross-section: Solid.

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