A small brown fungus that dries paler from the centre to the cap margin, found in trooping groups on soil in Parks, lawns and grassland.
Common from Summer till Autumn.
In soil on grassland, lawns, parks and gardens.
Campanulate or convex, becoming expanded-convex, smooth, dull brown when moist and reddish brown at the centre, drying to pallid clay.
Cap flesh is thin and buff-brown. Stem flesh fragile and buff-brown.
Adnate, crowded, pallid brown initially, mottled darker and finally chocolate-brown.
The spores (which are quite large and measure approximately 13 - 17 x 7 - 9 microns) are distinctly roughened as can be seen in the photograph. This feature is more or less all that separates it from Panaeolus, which is why it bounces around between the two genera in different books - some authors considering that a single feature does not justify a 'split'.
Paler than the cap otherwise concolorous, equal, slender, ring absent,
Habitat: On soil amongst grass, especially common in lawns and roadside verges, less often in open glades in woodland. The name 'foenisecii' literally means 'at the end of the cut' and refers to the fact that it often appears after a lawn / grassland has been mown. Notes: Very common and widespread. English name = ‘Brown Hay Cap’. Ref: BC
