🔥The August mushroom of the month is the Leucocoprinus birnbaumii, commonly known as the Flower Pot Parasol, a saprophytic fungi native to the tropics. In recent times it has become common in greenhouses and indoor plants in temperate regions, its spores having hitched rides in the tropical plant trade.
🙌 to Aerie for naming that mushroom correctly and becoming the newest member of Central Texas Mycology!
Why the name?
The Flower Pot Parasol, aka yellow parasol, flowerpot parasol, or plantpot dapperling, is a species of gilled mushroom in the family Agaricaceae. It is common in the tropics and subtropics but in temperate regions it frequently occurs in greenhouses and flowerpots, hence its common names.
how did it get into my flower pot?
The Flower Pot Parasol was first described in 1788 by English mycologist James Bolton who described an observation from a hothouse near Halifax, three years earlier in 1785. During this era, exotic plants from tropical areas were being brought to and cultivated in greenhouses and gardens from the East Indies and India, so it is likely the spores hitched a ride in the soil or mulch.
is it edible?
Although the Flower Pot Parasol does look beautiful it is not edible. Though it will not kill you, it will cause some very unpleasant gastrointestinal irritation. However, it may have medicinal uses. A 2015 study showed that fatty acids extracted from Leucocoprinus birnbaumii have moderate but selective anti-microbial effects.