Psathyrella

Description:

Conical-capped mushrooms growing on highly rotted wood and leaf litter. Caps are hygrophanous and specimens located under leaves have darker spots on them. Gills are dark brown. Stipe is thin, smooth, and very fragile; they fell apart in my hands. Stipe is colored tan. Spore print is very dark brown to black. Psathyrella are saprobic mushrooms with dark spore prints. They are often hygrophanous, as they are prone to color changes at different moisture levels (note the two tones in these specimens). Viewing of microscopic features is often required for a proper species identification of this genus.

Habitat:

Growing on highly rotted wood and leaf litter at the base of a ridge in a dense mixed hardwood/pine forest. Northwest Georgia.