Yellow flowerpot mushroom

Leucocoprinus birnbaumii

The yellow flowerpot mushroom (Leucocoprinus birnbaumii) is small, though it stands out for its full yellow colour and for growing in fleets. The cap displays first a closed ovoid shape, 23-28 mm in height by 18-20 mm in diameter, with scales on its surface; later it opens like an umbrella until conical shape keeping the central nipple. In parallel, the bright yellow fades as the mushroom ages. The stipe can reach 60 mm height; it is solid and thick. The stipe wears a whitish ring in its upper part that comes from the partial veil that covered the gills. The stipes of several fruiting bodies often merge in a thick base.

The yellow flowerpot mushroom belongs to the agaricaceae family, that of the common white mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), although it is a very toxic species.

The yellow flowerpot mushroom is a newcomer species from tropical origin that, as its name indicates, appears in pots from the plant substrate. In the 2nd picture, the yellow mushroom has appeared on a flowerpot containing a seedling of green oak.

[photos Carme Arnaiz (1st) and Josefina Suàrez (2nd)]