Phleogena faginea

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Phleogena faginea

7 November 2009 West Sussex. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin.

Cap

Initially club shaped, white, head expanding and becoming sub-spherical or brain shaped, grey to dark brown, to about 1 cm across

Stem

Thin, equal, concolorous with the cap

Flesh

Spongey, leathery

Smell

Strong, especially when dried, of powdered fenugreek seeds

Season

Autumn and winter

Distribution

Infrequent or rare

Habitat

On dead and living wood from deciduous trees, often in large numbers

Microscopic Features

Spores subspherical, smooth (5-8) x (5-8) µm2

Edibility

Inedible

Notes

This slow growing species can be present for many months, and can sometimes form huge swarms on the host wood.

Phleogena faginea

1 March 2009 West Sussex. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin.

Phleogena faginea

1 March 2009 West Sussex. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin.