Variable webcap is notoriously difficult to identify due to its inconsistent and variable features, giving rise to its common name. The color of the cap changes as the mushroom matures, which further hinders identification efforts. Variable webcap has been reported as potentially toxic and should not be consumed. Older fruitbodies emit a sickly sweet odor. It usually grows in mixed wood forests.
Cap Diameter:
3 - 7 cm
Odor:
Sweet with a slightly unpleasant undertone.
In This Article
Attributes
Similar Species
Tips for Finding
Clean and Preserve
Common Questions
General Info About Variable webcap
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Attributes of Variable webcap
Cap Diameter
3 - 7 cm
Height
5 - 10 cm
Cap
Cap 2 - 6 cm; convex, flat, slightly bell-shaped; generally grayish lilac, brown; dry
Cap Shape
Convex, Bell-shaped, Flat, Central Bump
Cap Surfaces
Fibrillose-scaly
Gills
Adnate; close; lilac gray at first, becoming rusty brown
Gill Attachment
Attached
Stem
Stem 3 - 8 cm long, up to 2 cm thick; equal or slightly swollen at the base, solid, becoming hollow; lilac near the apex; dry
Stem Shapes
Cylindrical
Stem Surfaces
Smooth to slightly fibrous
Flesh
Whitish to lilac
Ring
Incomplete
Ring
With Ring Zone
Spore Print Color
Rust-brown
Odor
Sweet with a slightly unpleasant undertone.
Body Color
Brown
Gray
Purple
Flesh Bruises
The flesh or milk does not discolor when bruised or cut.
Growth Form
Solitary, Gregarious
Nutrient Gathering
Mycorrhizal
Substrate
On soil
You can find Variable webcap by these plants:
American beech, Oaks, Spruces
Occurence Habitats
Mixed Woodland
Species Status
Apparently widely distributed in North America
Endangered Species
No
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Habitat of Variable webcap
Variable webcap prefers mixed woodlands, often found in association with hardwoods and conifers.
