Alder Scalycap - Pholiota alnicola

Alternative names
Flammula alnicola
Description

A smooth, pale yellow cap, grreasy when wet.  Sometimes with rusty spots or darker in the centre, and with brown veil fragments at the margins. Young caps have a fine veil, or cortina, covering the gills.  The gills are also pale yellow, darkening to rusty brown with age.  The fibrillose stem is yellow, with darker base, and a faint ring zone.  

Identification difficulty
Recording advice

Photograph from top down, in side view and underneath to show gills and full length of stipe.  Note habitat, substrate ansd associated tree species.

Habitat

On stumps at the base of various deciduous trees (not just Alder); often on Birch, despite name.

When to see it

September to December.

UK Status

Widespread and frequent (Kibby, Vol. 3, 2021)

VC55 Status

Infrequent in Leicestershire and Rutland.

Further Information

In Kibby, Vol.3, it is named Flammula alnicola in the Hymenogastraceae family.  Also under this name in Laessoe & Petersen. 

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species profile

Species group:
fungus
Kingdom:
Fungi
Order:
Agaricales
Family:
Strophariaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
2
First record:
18/10/2018 (Nicholls, David)
Last record:
06/11/2022 (Bell, Melinda)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

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