Parasol Mushroom

Macrolepiota procera · Agaricaceae

Edible

A tall, elegant mushroom with a snakeskin stem and a cap that opens like a parasol.

Edible. Only pick large specimens with the snakeskin stem and movable ring. Avoid all small white-capped Lepiotas.

Season

July to November

Cap: 10-30cm, drumstick-shaped when young, opening flat with coarse dark brown scales and a dark central boss.
Gills / pores: Free, white, crowded, soft.
Stem: Very tall and slender, with a brown zig-zag snakeskin pattern and a thick double ring that slides up and down.
Flesh: White, unchanging.
Spore print: White.
Smell & taste: Pleasantly nutty.

Shaggy Parasol bruises reddish and upsets some people. Small Lepiota species (under 10cm) include deadly ones and should never be picked.

Discard the fibrous stem. Coat caps in egg and breadcrumbs and fry whole.

Calocybe gambosa

A solid white spring mushroom of grassland, traditionally appearing around St Georges Day.

Boletus edulis

The most sought-after wild mushroom in Britain: nutty, firm and richly scented, with a pale bun-like cap and a fat netted stem.

Cantharellus cibarius

Egg-yolk yellow, trumpet-shaped and smelling faintly of apricots. One of the safest and finest edibles once learned.