Often found in mixed woodlands, gardens, and even roadside verges, C. rhacodes emerges from late summer into autumn. It’s typically solitary or in small groups, preferring rich, disturbed soils.
Key field features:
Cap: Up to 15 cm wide, with concentric brown scales on a creamy background—giving it that “shaggy” look.
Gills: Free from the stem, crowded, and white to pale cream, turning reddish-brown with age or bruising.
Stem: Thick and fibrous, with a prominent movable ring. The base often swells and may bruise orange or reddish.
Spore print: White.
The Shaggy Parasol is a widespread but under-recorded species across Northern Ireland. According to data from the NBN Atlas there are numerous occurrence records scattered throughout the region, particularly areas with mixed woodland, parkland, and hedgerows. It’s most commonly spotted in:
County Down: Including sites near Bangor and the Ards Peninsula, where mature woodland and garden habitats provide ideal conditions.
County Antrim: Records cluster around Belfast’s outer green spaces and the wooded glens of the Antrim coast.
County Armagh: Woodland edges and disturbed soils near Craigavon and Portadown have yielded sightings, especially in late summer.
County Fermanagh: The species has been noted in wooded lake margins and estate grounds, though records are fewer here.
County Londonderry: Occasional finds in urban green spaces and rural hedgerows suggest a broader but patchy presence.
|
Feature |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Spore print color |
White |
|
Shape |
Ellipsoid to ovoid |
|
Size |
8–12 × 6–8 µm |
|
Surface |
Smooth |
|
Reaction |
Non-amyloid |
Cheilocystidia are specialized sterile cells found along the edges of the gills in many species. In this species, the cheilocystidia are typically thin-walled and variable in shape—ranging from cylindrical to slightly clavate (club-shaped). They are not particularly prominent or diagnostic on their own, but their presence can help distinguish C. rhacodes from similar species when combined with other microscopic features. Under high magnification, these cells appear translucent and often lack pigmentation, making them easier to observe in water mounts.
Basidia are the spore-producing cells found on the gill surfaces of Chlorophyllum rhacodes, playing a central role in its reproductive cycle. These microscopic structures are typically club-shaped and measure around 25–35 µm in length. Each basidium usually bears four sterigmata—tiny projections that hold the developing spores. When mature, the spores are forcibly discharged into the air, contributing to the fungus’s dispersal. Under the microscope, basidia appear as translucent, swollen cells nestled among the gill tissue, often interspersed with sterile elements like cheilocystidia.