Plant Guide > Mushrooms > Genus Lepiota > Lepiota Procera

Lepiota Procera

Lepiota procera

Parasol Mushroom; Tall Lepiota

Cap or Pileus - Convex, like an open umbrella. Thin, umbonate, covered with closely pressed scales. 3-5 inches broad.

Stem or Stipe - Long, hollow, or with cottony pith; bulbous at the base; usually covered with closely pressed scales. 5-10 inches long.

Veil or Ring - Thick and firm; often movable on the stem.

Gills or Lamellae - Closely placed, side by side. Whitish, or tinged with yellow. The inner extremity remote from the stem.

Spores - White, elliptical.

Flesh - White, soft, and dry.

Time - July to September.

Habitat - Thin woods, pastures, and by roadsides.

The specific name, Procera, from the Latin procera (tall), refers to the length of the stem. There is no poisonous species for which it can be mistaken if one bears in mind that it has a long stem with bulbous base, a brownish, spotted cap with dark apex, and a broad basin about the insertion of the stem.