Pale Brittlestem
(Candolleomyces candolleanus)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy
|
|
||||||||||||||
Description |
Pale Brittlestem is a widespread, very common, medium-sized, gilled mushroom. It occurs worldwide on every continent. It has even been reported on Antarctica. It occurs throughout the United States and southern Canada, but it is most common in the Northeast and on the West Coast. Pale Brittlestem is found from late spring through early fall in lawns, gardens, pastures, and cultivated areas, often near dead hardwood trees or stumps. It grows on the ground alone, scattered, in groups but not clustered (gregarious), or sometimes in tufts. When it first appears, the cap is light yellowish brown and rounded cone-shaped or convex. Remnants of the partial veil often hang from the margin. As it matures, the cap spreads out and changes color. Mature caps are 1¼″ to 4¼″ (3 to 11 cm) in diameter, broadly convex, broadly bell-shaped, or nearly flat, and pale brownish. The surface is dry and smooth to slightly rough. It is darker with more or less transparent streaks when moist, paler and opaque when dry (hygrophanous). The margin often develops radial wrinkles, and it often splits along those wrinkles. Older cap are whitish with a darker center, often with a broad, low hump in the center (umbonate) The gills are close together or crowded. They are whitish and broadly attached to the stem (adnate) at first. As they mature, they turn grayish or grayish purple, and they sometimes become detached from the stem (free). As the spores mature, the gills turn dark brown. The stalk is fragile, white, 1½″ to 5″ (4 to 13 cm) long, and ⅛″ to 5⁄16″ (3 to 8 mm) thick. There is sometimes a ring-like zone on the stalk, but there is rarely a true ring. The flesh is very thin and fragile. It is edible but insubstantial. The spore print is dark purplish brown. |
Similar Species |
Habitat and Hosts |
Lawns, gardens, pastures, and cultivated areas |
Ecology |
Season |
Late spring through early fall |
Distribution |
||
|
Sources Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu, 8/17/2025). |
|
| 8/17/2025 | ||
Occurrence |
||
Widespread and very common |
||
Taxonomy |
|
Kingdom |
Fungi (fungi) |
Subkingdom |
Dikarya |
Phylum |
Basidiomycota (club fungi) |
Subphylum |
Agaricomycotina (jelly fungi, yeasts, and mushrooms) |
Class |
Agaricomycetes (mushrooms, bracket fungi, puffballs, and allies) |
Subclass |
Agaricomycetidae |
Order |
|
Suborder |
Agaricineae |
Family |
Psathyrellaceae (brittlestems and allies) |
Genus |
Candolleomyces |
|
|
Genus |
|
Subordinate Taxa |
|
|
|
Synonyms |
|
Agaricus appendiculatus Agaricus appendiculatus var. lanatus Agaricus candolleanus Agaricus candolleanus var. nigrescens Agaricus catarius Agaricus coronatus Agaricus corrugis var. vinosus Agaricus egenulus Agaricus felinus Agaricus stipatus var. appendiculatus Agaricus stipatus var. candolleanus Agaricus vinosus Agaricus violaceolamellatus Drosophila appendiculata Drosophila candolleana Drosophila cataria Hypholoma appendiculatum Hypholoma appendiculatum var. candolleanum Hypholoma appendiculatum var. coronatum Hypholoma appendiculatum var. floccosum Hypholoma appendiculatum var. flocculosum Hypholoma candolleanum Hypholoma candolleanum var. annulatum Hypholoma candolleanum var. floccosum Hypholoma candolleanum var. platincola Hypholoma candolleanum var. squarrosum Hypholoma catarium Hypholoma egenulum Hypholoma felinum Hypholomopsis appendiculatum Psathyra appendiculata Psathyra candolleana Psathyra corrugis var. vinosa Psathyra tuberosa Psathyrella appendiculata Psathyrella candolleana Psathyrella candolleana var. annulata Psathyrella candolleana var. solitaria Psathyrella candolleana var. sterilis Psathyrella candolliana Psathyrella corrugis var. vinosa Psathyrella egenula Psathyrella elegans Psathyrella microlepidota Psathyrella proxima |
|
Common Names |
|
Common Psathyrella Fringed Crumblecap Pale Brittlestem Suburban Psathyrella |
|
Glossary
Hygrophanous
Referring to mushroom tissue that is dark and more or less transparent when moist, becoming paler and opaque as it dries out.
Partial veil
A protective covering over the gills or pores of a developing mushroom. At maturity it disappears, collapses into a ring around the stem, or wears away into a cobwebby covering and ring zone.
Saprobic
A term often used for saprotrophic fungi. Referring to fungi that obtain their nutrients from decayed organic matter.
Umbonate
On mushrooms, having a distinct, raised, knob-like projection in the center of the cap.
Visitor Photos |
||
Share your photo of this fungus. |
||
This button not working for you? |
||
Dan W. Andree |
||
Small Mushrooms popped up These were in my yard after that recent storm. They just popped up. |
||
 |
 |
|
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
||
|
||
|
||
Slideshows |
Candolleomyces |
Visitor Videos |
||
Share your video of this fungus. |
||
This button not working for you? |
||
|
Other Videos |
||
Psathyrella candolleana |
About
Jul 19, 2020 Psathyrella candolleana is a common, "weedy" species of mushroom that you can find growing in many places, and (somewhat unusually) at many times of the year. |
Candolleomyces candolleanus, Psathyrella candolleana, September 12, 2022 |
About
Sep 17, 2022 Behangener Mürbling, Псатирелла Кандолля, 12 вересня 2022 року |
Visitor Sightings |
||
Report a sighting of this fungus. |
||
This button not working for you? |
||
Dan W. Andree |
Location: Norman Co. Mn. These were in my yard after that recent storm. They just popped up. |
 |
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
||
|
|
Created: 8/17/2025 Last Updated: © MinnesotaSeasons.com. All rights reserved. |