Last Autumn I had the opportunity to travel to Firenze in Italy and visit the forest of Casentinesi that I have detailed in this previous post: A forest walk in the Casentinesi National Forest - Florence (Italy).
tl;dr
In a beech tree forest (Fagus sylvatica) the weather changed fast and sun gave place to fog and some rain, as it was early Autumn :)
At the time, I just briefly wrote about this parasol mushroom, and as we are still in FungiFriday, let's get a bit closer and know how to identify it.
| Family | Scientific name | Common names | Fruiting season | Habitat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agaricaceae | Macrolepiota procera | parasol mushroom | July to November in Britain and Ireland; later in southern Europe.. | woodland clearings |
***Macrolepiota procera* is the scientific name of the known parasol mushroom.** This mushroom is widely sought after due to its great taste and because it is easy to identify: **1.** When mature the **cap** is really big ranging between 10 to 25 cm in diameter. **Pretty easy to spot!**  **2.** It has **gills** underneath the cap that are white or pale cream, free and quite crowded, terminating some distance from the stipe.  **3.** **Large double-edged ring** (or skirt) is tick and is not attached very well and can usually be moved up and down the stem. **4.** Smooth white or cream **stem**, with small greyish to brown scales that often give it a banded, snakeskin effect. It can grow up yo 30 cm almost always with the skirt still on nearly 2/3 of the way up the stem. Sometimes the stem is hollow and the flesh on cutting is often very fibrous. The diameter ranges from 1 to 1,5 cm. **5.** Bulbous base, a little like members of the Amanita family, but it's not a volva. The bulbous base diameter can reach 2,5 cm. It is possible to see all these features in the following: [Parasol Mushroom Identification, Macrolepiota procera](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xK87iMP4GMI) video. ---- **The parasol mushroom is edible and can be cooked in several ways for at least 15 minutes** I have seen this Italian suggestion in a mushroom guide: > *"Una delle migliori preparazioni è quella al forno, con le lamelle rivolte verso l'alto spolverate di sale e pepe, insaporite con fiocchetti di burro e scagliette di formaggi saporiti come l'emmenthal."* **In other words**: - Place the parasol mushroom on a baking tray with gills facing upwards - Season with salt, pepper and place some butter - Sprinkle with cheese, such as Emmenthal ### Ohh my, I'm about to start drooling just by imagining its flavors! Be aware and do not eat similar species that do not have all the distinctive characteristics of *Macrolepiota procera*. This post is my contribution to #FungiFriday by @ewkaw :)