We have been receiving comments saying the Green-Spored Parasol (Chlorophyllum molybdites) is edible on Facebook and other groups. It is not edible! It is poisonous! Please spread the word through Facebook and other groups so that we can do our part to make sure that our community doesn’t get poisoned. This mushroom is the #1 cause of poisoning of Nebraskans, as field guides from other regions could key this out to a Shaggy Parasol (Macrolepiota rhaccodes) or other Macrolepiota sp.. Eating this mushroom can result in severe gastrointestinal distress for humans and pets.
The Green-Spored Parasol (Chlorophyllum molybdites) is a large mushroom that grows in lawns and grassy areas in the summer through late fall (right now). It has a whitish cap with gray-brown scales that is shaped evenly rounded to flat. The gill attachment is free, it has an annulus, and no volva. The gill color is white when young, and later becomes olive green. It has an olive green spore print.
It can easily be separated from Shaggy Parasol (Macrolepiota rhaccodes) by different spore print colors. M. rhaccodes has a white spore print whereas C. molybdites is olive green. Some young specimens of C. molybdites can look similar to M. rhaccodes*. If you are interested in trying M. rhaccodes at your own risk, please - for your own health and those around you - obtain a spore print first! These species show up in the same locations and have similar fruiting times. Please help spread the word. Instructions on how to create a spore print can be found here.
For more information about the identification of this mushroom, please see this link
For more information on the poisonous chemicals in this mushroom, please see this link under “Miscellaneous and Unknown Toxins”.
Thanks so much for your time and for sharing the word to keep others safe. We wish you happy and safe mushroom hunting! Please enjoy some photos of the Green Spored Parasol below, and please.... DO NOT EAT IT! 😁
