Conocybe albipes

Conocybe albipes is a basidiomycete fungus and a member of Conocybe. It is a fairly common fungus, both in North America and Europe, found growing among short green grass. Until recently, the species was also commonly known as Conocybe lactea. Another synonym, Bolbitius albipes G.H. Otth 1871, places the fungus in the genus Bolbitius.

Appearance
Easily missable due to their very small size, C. albipes fruitbodies are otherwise quite easy to identify. The cap is a pale cream to silvery-white colour and may sometimes have a darker yellow to brown tinge towards the umbo. Its trademark hood-shaped conical cap may be slightly elongated vertically and it does not flatten out with age. The gills may be visible through the thin cap and these are coloured rust or cinnamon brown and quite dense. They are adnexed and release brown to reddish-brown elliptical spores. The stem is cap-coloured and is quite elongated, enabling the mushroom to compete with vegetation for access to air currents for spore dispersal. It is thin, hollow and more or less equal along its length. It might bear minuscule striations or hairs.

It must be stressed that all parts of this small, light fungus are extremely delicate and fragile.

Habitat
C. albipes is a saprobe found in areas with rich soil and short grass such as pastures, playing fields, lawns and meadows fruiting single or sparingly few bodies. It will be found only in humid, rainy weather with generally overcast skies. It will appear on sunny mornings while there is dew but will not persist once it fades. In most cases, by midday the delicate fruiting bodies have shrivelled, dried and faded from sight.

Edibility
C. albipes does not bear a distinctive taste or smell. While it is widely quoted as inedible and worthless due to its small size and mass, it is suspect for toxicity. Other members of the Conocybe genus are toxic, some dangerously so.

External links and resources

 * Mushroom Expert - Conocybe albipes
 * MykoWeb - Conocybe albipes