20 September 2008 Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. Common Name Deer Cap Cap Convex, then flattened, brownish, smooth, sometimes with scales at the centre, to about 15 cm across Gills Broad, crowded, free, white then pale pink Stem Equal or swollen at the base, whitish, covered with coarse dark scales Flesh Firm, white Smell Indistinct Taste Indistinct Season Spring to autumn Distribution Very common Habitat On sawdust and wood, usually from deciduous trees Spore Print Pink Microscopic Features Spores broadly ellipsoidal, smooth (7-8) x (5-6) µm2 Pleurocystidia flask shaped with the ends shaped like deer antlers. Edibility Edible, poor Notes The common name - Deer Cap - derives from the shape of the pleurocystidia (cystidia on the gill face) the ends of which resemble antlers. Take care not to confuse with the very rare P. pouzarianus which grows with conifers. 
26 August 2006 Buckinghamshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. 
Pleurocystidia (gill face cystidia) viewed with a x40 objective. 19 July 2009 West Sussex. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. |