Pacific Northwest Fungi Forager
Mushroom hunting made easy
Wine Cap
Stropharia rugoso-annulata
Wine cap mushrooms are a popular cultivated mushroom that can often be found in the wood chips and mulch of disturbed areas like pathways and garden beds. Some who eat this mushroom a couple days in a row report nausea and indigestion.
Cap
bell-shaped when young, maturing to flat and eventually becoming wavy like an up-turned umbrella
Gills
crowded, whitish when young, as it matures they turn grey then purple-grey or purple-black
Stem
thick, often thicker near the base, whitish to yellowish brownish when mature. ring is radially grooved sometimes splitting into segments
deep purple-brown to black
Companions
cultivated areas like wood chips, mulch, and lawns; large fruitlings have been found near rhododendrons
Seasons
late Summer through Autumn
photo by: Allyzilla
Wine Cap Identification Check List:
1. Gills will never be pinkish and they are attached to the stem when young
4. Stem is smooth and free of scales or flakes
2. The ring is often segmented leaving claw-like shapes around the stem
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3. Spore print is deep purple-brown or black and can often be seen on the ring
4. Cap color is variable, ranging from wine-red to tan and the surface is smooth
Compare Wine Caps to Look-Alikes:
Photo by: Ann B
Stropharia rugoso-annulata
Wine Cap Mushroom
Gills: Never pink, touching stem
Cap: Smooth, wine-red to tan
Spores: Deep purple-brown to black
Ring: Deeply grooved or split
Stem: Smooth
Edibility: Delicious!
Photo by: Nova Patch
Hypholoma lateritium
Brick Cap Mushroom
Gills: Yellowish to grey, touching stem
Cap: Brick red center, pale edge
Spores: Purple-brown
Ring: Not present
Stem: Some fraying fibers
Edibility: Edible
Photo by: Irene Andersson
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Stropharia hornemannii
Lacerated Stropharia
Gills: Violet to dark, touching stem
Cap: Grey to red brown to pale yellow
Spores: Purple brown to black
Ring: Pleated, hanging, fragile
Stem: White scales below ring
Edibility: Not recommended