A Year in the Valley

The first thing you notice about this toadstool is that it has pores instead of gills on the underside.  It is white with a brown scaley top in a concave shape, and a funnel-shaped stem.  I spotted this on the steps under the sea buckthorn where there is a mix of stone and log surfaces.  There was a large brown toadstool in this spot last summer, but I didn’t get to see the stem and underside before it decomposed, so I couldn’t identify it.  I thought it was  a funny time of year for fungi, as I usually expect to see them in the autumn, but this one can be found from May to October.  The cap becomes more funnel-shaped with age and can become slimy, as happened with the last one, which had debris stuck to it, which made identification even harder.  It is said to be edible with a mild mushroomy flavour!