Chlorophyllum molybdites (G. Mey.) Massee

Image location: Hanson’s Shopping Center on Del Obispo, San Juan Capistrano, California, USA

From what I’ve read of this species, this fruiting sounds very typical: hot summer day in July in Orange County, Southern California. It was growing in the corner of a patch of soil in a grocery store parking lot, and looking impressively robust and fleshy despite the lack of any sort of recent rain in the area. There may be sprinklers in the area, though I forgot to check. Very glad to finally see this mushroom for the first time, I was fascinated by the idea of a green-spored mushrooms when first learning about it many years ago!

Description: the mushrooms were very willing to shed their cap scales on everything they touched, edges of cap very frayed. The gill color of the older two mushrooms was distinctively pale green, while less so for the younger. The spore print of the younger one (not pictured) was surprisingly more cream than anything, with white bits but no hint of green like in the older mushroom’s print which is pictured. Stipe light above the veil, dark below. Very distinctive dark orange to brown coloration where the caps and stalks were separated, similar to C. rhacodes, noticed about an hour after I picked the mushrooms and inspected them at home.

For more information about this, see the observation page at Mushroom Observer. English | español | français | italiano | македонски | മലയാളം | português | +/−