Phaeomarasmius erinaceus

Suggested English name: Hedgehog Scaleycap (old scientific names include Agaricus erinaceus, Naucoria erinacea, Dryophila erinacea, Pholiota erinacea, Agaricus aridus, Phaeomarasmius aridus, Agaricus lanatus)This species is small (cap to 1cm across and the whole fruit body rarely reaching more than 2cm in height) and thus probably often overlooked. It has the classic umbrella shape with a cap and a stem but is usually found on dead attached willow branches, round about eye level, which is somehow unexpected. The cap is a rich brown colour and both the stem and the cap are covered with distinctive raised scale like structures. These are particularly well developed on the cap. The flesh is actually quite tough and the fruit body is not fragile as many other small toadstools are. Focus on the microhabitat you might be rewarded!

Phaeomarasmius erinaceus is a saprotrophic or ‘recycler’ fungus, which is breaking down dead wood. Fungi are the only group of organisms that can break down lignin and without them we would be buried under many metres of woody debris. They also lay a vital role in driving the carbon cycle, releasing nutrients that they don’t require back into the habitat.