Volvopluteus gloiocephalus Stubble Rosegill

A tall rosegill with a shield-like cap, which is greyish-brown with a darker, umbonate centre and somewhat fibrillose. The gills, which are crowded and free, are white at first and then pink-brown at maturity. The long white stem, which becomes more buff with age, has a membranous volva at its base like a Volvariella, a feature that distinguishes it from Pluteus. The large, pink spores are 12-16 X 7-9 microns and considerably bigger than Pluteus and Volvariella species (see photo). It is a species of woodchip piles and rotting grass in meadows and it is frequently reported as a common species in Britain. There are few records of it from West Glamorgan.