Lepiota cristata, the stinking dapperling, is a small saprobic Lepiota with a white cap broken into concentric reddish-brown scales around a smooth, darker centre, a fragile ring and a strong unpleasant odour. It is common on disturbed ground such as lawns, paths and gardens. DNA studies show that cristata-like collections include more than one species.
Poisonous; do not eat. It is regarded as suspect and has been reported to cause gastrointestinal symptoms. Chemical analyses (2014, 2018) detected no amatoxins in it, but several small Lepiota species are deadly (for example L. brunneoincarnata), and small dapperlings cannot be reliably told apart in the field.
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Habitat
Saprobic, scattered or gregarious on disturbed ground (lawns, paths, road edges, ditches, parks and gardens), in leaf litter and garden waste, and on forest floor under hardwoods or conifers. Summer and autumn.
Distribution
North America north of Mexico, throughout Europe and northern Asia; also New Zealand.
Characteristics
Cap: 1-5 cm; convex or obtusely conic, becoming broadly bell-shaped or nearly flat; white with concentric pinkish-brown to reddish-brown scales, the centre bald and darker. Gills: free, close, white to buff. Stem: 3-7 cm long, 2-3 mm thick, fragile, whitish, often pinkish to brownish toward the base. Ring: fragile, white, easily lost. Odour: strong and unpleasant, often likened to burnt rubber. Spore print: white. Spores: 5-8.5 x 2.5-4 µm, mostly wedge- or bullet-shaped.
