As its name suggests, the desert shaggy mane (Podaxis pistillaris) erupts from seemingly improbably conditions, out of the hot and arid ground in North American deserts. They are commonly found living harmoniously with colonies of termites in termite mounds. The desert shaggy mane is toxic and not safe to consume.
Cap Diameter:
2 - 4 cm
Odor:
Mildly mushroomy but not distinctive.
In This Article
Attributes
Similar Species
Tips for Finding
Clean and Preserve
Common Questions
General Info About Desert shaggy mane
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Attributes of Desert shaggy mane
Cap Diameter
2 - 4 cm
Height
5 - 15 cm
Cap
Cap 4 - 8 cm high and 2 - 4 cm across; oval when young, cylindric; white, pale brownish; shaggy to scaly, dry
Cap Surfaces
Fibrillose-scaly
Stem
4 - 10 cm long; up to 1 cm thick; equal above a base, extremely tough; whitish to brownish
Stem Shapes
Cylindrical
Stem Surfaces
Fibrillose
Flesh
Tough; whitish
Ring
Ringless
Spore Print Color
Very dark brown, nearly black
Odor
Mildly mushroomy but not distinctive.
Body Color
Brown
White
Growth Form
Solitary, Scattered
Nutrient Gathering
Saprophytic
Substrate
On soil
Occurence Habitats
Disturbed Lands
Species Status
Fairly common in the deserts of the southwest and California
The desert shaggy mane grows in arid, disturbed environments such as deserts, waste areas, roadsides, irrigated fields, gardens, and sparse grassland. It prefers sandy soil.
Distribution Area of Desert shaggy mane
North America,Africa,Central and South America,Asia,Australia
