Laccaria laccata

Laccaria laccata
Image Courtesy of Emily Johnson
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Group of Fungi: Agarics

Family: Hydnangiaceae

Latin Name: Laccaria laccata (Scop.) Cooke

Common Name: Common Laccaria

Description: Total height 1 5/8–4 in (4–10 cm); cap 3/4–2 in (2–5 cm) wide, pinkish brown to dark orange brown, upper surface smooth to scruffy and often with a central depression; margin wavy and uneven; gills well separated, thick, pink to pinkish brown; stalk 1 1/4–3 1/2 in (3–9 cm) long, 1/8–1/4 in (0.3–0.5 cm) in diameter, fibrous, pink to pinkish brown; annulus absent; volva absent; spores white in mass.

Biological Role: Forms mycorrhizal associations with forest trees.

Habitat: On the ground in broadleaf and mixed broadleaf/conifer forests; occurring as solitary fruiting bodies or scattered groups.

Geographical Distribution: Widely distributed throughout North America.

Comments: Laccaria laccata tends to be rather variable, which suggests that what we recognize as this species is actually a species complex. This fungus is considered edible, but care should be taken not to confuse it with other morphologically similar species that are poisonous or otherwise not suitable for human consumption.



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