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Tawny grisette

Tawny grisette ©Chris Lawrence

Tawny grisette

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The tawny grisette has an orange-brown cap and a tall, slender stem that arises from a conspicuous cup-like sack. It can be found in woodlands, particularly those with Birch, but also on heaths.

Scientific name

Amanita fulva

When to see

June to November

Top facts

Stats

Cap diameter: 4-9cm
Stem height: 7-12cm
Common.

About

The tawny grisette is commonly found in woodlands, especially those with Birch, in summer and autumn. It can also be found in heathlands alongside heather and bracken. It is edible, but best avoided as it can easily be confused with poisonous species. Fungi belong to their own kingdom and get their nutrients and energy from organic matter, rather than photosynthesis like plants. It is often just the fruiting bodies, or 'mushrooms', that are visible to us, arising from an unseen network of tiny filaments called 'hyphae'. These fruiting bodies produce spores for reproduction, although fungi can also reproduce asexually by fragmentation.

What to look for

The orange-brown cap pf the tawny grisette is smooth and dry, with a strongly striated margin. Initially the fungus is egg-shaped, but as the stem grows, the cap expands to become flat with a raised centre. The gills are free of the stem, white and crowded. The tall, slender, tapering stem arises from a conspicuous cup-like 'sack' and is paler than the cap.

Did you know?

Similar to the tawny grisette, the rarer orange grisette (Amanita crocea) has a yellow-orange cap and stem and is also edible.