Deadly dapperling vs fairy ring mushroom: the deadly lawn lookalike

Quick answer

The deadly dapperling's pale cap breaks into concentric rings of pinkish brown scales, its white gills are crowded, and its stem has bands of felty scales below a cottony ring zone; the fairy ring mushroom has a smooth tan cap, broad and widely spaced gills, and a smooth, tough stem that twists without breaking. Both print white.

Deadly lookalike

The deadly dapperling can be fatal.

Unlike the fairy ring mushroom, the deadly dapperling (Lepiota subincarnata) contains amatoxins, which stop protein production by blocking the enzyme RNA polymerase II. The University of British Columbia's Mushrooms Up! guide records abdominal pain, vomiting and watery diarrhea 6 to 12 hours (up to 36 hours) after eating; the symptoms ease after about a day, then return around 72 hours with signs of liver failure, and in fatal cases death follows 7 to 10 days after the first symptoms. In 1988 a man near Vancouver died after eating lawn mushrooms he took for fairy ring mushrooms.

If someone has eaten a wild mushroom and feels unwell, or may have eaten one of these, call poison control now: 1-800-222-1222 in the US. Do not wait for symptoms.

Side by side

The tell for each

Lepiota subincarnata

Photo coming

Deadly
Deadly DapperlingLepiota subincarnata

The tellSmall pale cap broken into concentric pinkish brown scales, white free gills, and a white spore print.

Pale tan fairy ring mushrooms with wavy caps among grass and green leaves
Edible
Fairy Ring MushroomMarasmius oreades

The tellTan, bell-shaped caps in rings in grass, widely spaced gills, and a tough, wiry stem that twists without snapping.

How they differ

Differences between the deadly dapperling and the fairy ring mushroom
FeatureDeadly DapperlingFairy Ring Mushroom
Cap surfaceDeadly DapperlingConcentric rings of pinkish brown scales on a pale background, darker at the center.Fairy Ring MushroomSmooth, tan to buff, drying paler.
GillsDeadly DapperlingCrowded, white to cream, free from the stem.Fairy Ring MushroomBroad and widely spaced, whitish to pale tan.
StemDeadly DapperlingPinkish buff with bands of felty scales below a cottony ring zone.Fairy Ring MushroomSmooth, tough and pliant; twists without breaking. No ring zone.
GrowthDeadly DapperlingScattered in lawns, gardens, mulch and leaf litter.Fairy Ring MushroomIn full or partial rings in grass.
Cap sizeDeadly Dapperling0.75 to 2 inches (2 to 5 cm).Fairy Ring Mushroom0.5 to 2 inches (1 to 5 cm).
Spore printDeadly DapperlingWhite.Fairy Ring MushroomWhite.

FAQ

Common questions

What does the deadly dapperling look like?

A small mushroom with a pale cap broken into concentric pinkish brown scales, free white gills, and a stem with bands of felty scales. Cap width is usually under 2 inches.

Has anyone died from mistaking a lepiota for fairy ring mushrooms?

Yes. In October 1988 a man near Vancouver ate Lepiota subincarnata from his lawn, believing they were fairy ring mushrooms, and died, according to the University of British Columbia's Mushrooms Up! guide.

Sources

Where these facts come from

  1. Lepiota subincarnata, deadly parasol (Mushrooms Up!)

    Beaty Biodiversity Museum, University of British Columbia

  3. Marasmius oreades

    MushroomExpert.com

Keep checking

Read both pages in full

This page states what field guides record. It is not advice to eat, taste or handle anything, and a photo cannot settle edibility. If someone has eaten a wild mushroom that may be toxic, call poison control (1-800-222-1222 in the US) right away, before symptoms start: the deadliest species act hours later.

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