Paddy Straw Mushroom

Volvariella volvacea

Parks, greenhouses, gardens on old manure, at the edges of compost heaps. Summer, autumn.

Fruiting bodies medium-sized. Cap 5-8 (10) cm across, when young bell-shaped, later convex-flattened, greyish-brown, greenish-blackish, blackish-grey; an old cap fades to greyish, streaked. Gills at first white, later pinkish-rose. Stem 5-10x0.5-1.5 cm, slightly thickening towards the base, white, without a ring, the base enclosed by a lobed, greyish-brownish, greenish-brown volva. Flesh white, thick, soft, without a particular smell or taste. Characteristic features: cap greyish-blackish, stem without a ring, but with a prominent, large volva. Grows in groups. Edible. Rare. Warmth-loving. Widespread in warm-climate regions. In India and China it is cultivated in special premises, as field mushrooms and oyster mushrooms are here.