Conifercone Cap - Baeospora myosura

A small mushroom found on the buried cones of conifers, usually pines.  The caps are buff colured and paler at the margins, and the gills are crowded and whitish to pale buff.  Stipe is pale above and brownish below.

Strobilurus species also grow on fallen and buried conifer cones, including Spruce and Pine.  They are very similar, with slight differences in the stipe; it is whitish above and darker below.  S esculentus and S tenacellus have occasionally been reocrded in VC55.

microscope

Microscopic examination or verification by an expert from a specimen may be needed to confirm this. Retain a specimen; also photograph from top down, in side view and from underneath to show gills; you must note the substrate and habitat.  If possible identify the conifer species or ensure your photos includes images of the cones.

Conifer cones, including Pine and Spruce

Autumn.

Widespread but sometimes local in Britain.

Infrequent in Leicestershire and Rutland.

https://www.first-nature.com/fungi/baeospora-myosura.php

This species is currently 'Incertae sedis' - i.e. not assigned to a Family in the Agaricales (see NBN and CABI database}. We have retained it in Marasmiaceae because some sources (inc. the BMS GB Checklist) place it in here.  In other sources it appears under Cyphellaceae (see Kibby, V2 2020)