Arrhenia rickenii

The fruitbody is a mushroom with a cap atop a central stem. It is greyish brown overall. The cap may grow to 3 cm in diameter, has a depressed centre and is striate away from the centre. The gills are paler than the cap, run a little way down the stem (or, technically, they are decurrent) and there are cross-connections between the gills or buttress-like ‘mini-gills’ growing out, more-or-less at right angles from the main gill. The stem length in mature specimens is similar to the cap width.

Spore print: white:

The fruitbodies grow on soil amongst mosses.

Look-alikes

To be sure of an identification it is necessary to examine a specimen. Lichenomphalia umbellifera is somewhat similar but is lichenized, with an algal mat around the base of the stem. Arrhenia rickenii can also remind you of a dull-coloured Hygrocybe.    

The species is known from the Northern Hemipshere and it is likely that in Australia any such fungus should really be called Arrhenia aff. rickenii, indicating an affinity to rickenii.

Regional distribution

Arrhenia rickenii is listed in the following regions: