Redlead Roundhead

Description:

Bright red round-capped mushrooms with caps about 20mm to 50mm. Some of the caps were viscid but could be wiped dry. Thick long stipes were pale and fibrillose and stained orange towards the base. Remnants of a partial veil seen around the upper part of the stipe with sooty stains -? spores. Gills of a mature cap appeared slightly purple in colour with dark sooty stains. Some hyphae seen at the base of the stipe. Mature caps showed regular splits along the margins and the colour turned a deep brown.

Habitat:

wood chip mulch. This is stated to be a common habitat for this fungus.

Notes:

Formerly named Hypholoma aurantiaca or stropharia aurantiaca. The depth of the red colour of the caps is said to depend on the mulch/ food source.