Brown Mottlegill - Panaeolina foenisecii

Alternative names
Lawnmower Mushroom and as The Haymaker
Description

Cap 1 to 2 cm across, caps are initially bell-shaped or conical, expanding to become broadly convex; hygrophanous, medium to dark brown when moist, drying from the centre outwards to a creamy-beige. The hygrophanous nature of the cap means that colour is not a significant identifying feature; some caps may be dark brown while others, in drier parts of the same lawn, may be a pale creamy-beige even appearing white in bright sunlight. Spore print dark brown, spores 11-16 x 5-8µm with germ pore. 

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Any lawn or other grassy area that is regularly mown but not intensively dosed with lots of artificial fertilisers or selective herbicides.

When to see it

April to December.

UK Status

Common and widespread throughout Britain.

VC55 Status

Fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland.

Further Information

[On the NBN under Order Agaricales; not assigned to a Family]. 

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

Common names
Brown Hay Cap, Brown Mottlegill
Species group:
Fungi
Kingdom:
Fungi
Order:
Agaricales
Family:
Records on NatureSpot:
8
First record:
18/06/2016 (Watson, Ashley)
Last record:
16/11/2023 (Pochin, Christine)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

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