Common Conecap

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

NNR - Unranked

Minnesota

not listed

Common Conecap, also called Brown Dunce Cap, is a small gilled mushroom. It occurs worldwide in all continents except Antarctica, and it is common in Europe and North America. It occurs in the United States and southern Canada East of the Great Plains and on the West Coast.

Common Conecap is found in summer and fall, alone, scattered, or in groups but not clustered (gregarious). It grows on the ground in grassy areas, including lawns, gardens, and fields, as well as in woodlands. It obtains its nutrients from decayed organic matter (saprobic).

When it first appears, the cap is conico-convex with steep sides and a rounded peak, like a tall dome. The surface is thin, dry, and hairless, and it is colored brown, orangish brown, or yellowish brown. As it ages, The cap expands slightly and the color fades. The mature cap is convex, the surface is tan, yellowish, or buff, the margins are only finely lined when moist, and the size is ⅜″ to 1¼″ (10 to 30 mm). The upper size at maturity can vary significantly depending on moisture and habitat.

The gills are closely spaced or crowded. Their attachment to the stalk is variable, ranging from narrowly attached (adnexed) to broadly attached (adnate), or occasionally appearing free from the stalk. They are pale yellowish at first, soon becoming cinnamon brown to rusty brown as the spores mature.

The stalk is fragile, hollow, and smooth or finely grooved (striate). It may be colored like the cap or slightly paler or darker. It is 1½″ to 3½″ (4 to 9 cm) tall and the same size from the top to a slightly swollen base. There is no ring or ring zone on the stalk.

The flesh is thin and brownish, and it does not change color when sliced. Edibility is unknown but is strongly discouraged due to its similarity to the deadly poisonous Fool's Conecap (Conocybe filaris).

The spore print is rusty brown or cinnamon brown.

Similar Species

Lawns, gardens, and fields, and woodlands

Season

Summer and fall