# Common Bonnet (*mycena galericulata*)

The Common Bonnet is a small, mushroom-shaped fungus that grows in groups. It has a cute, bell-shaped cap that can be a light brown color and is often found in damp, wooded areas.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Moist, shaded areas in forests, particularly in leaf litter.
- **Also known as:** Bell cap, Common Mycena, Mycena mushroom

![Common Bonnet](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Mycena_60303.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Dan Molter (shroomydan), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mycena_60303.jpg)

## Appearance

The Common Bonnet has a bell-shaped cap, often ribbed, that ranges from pale brown to grey-brown, fading towards its crinkled edge. Its slender, pale stem supports this delicate cap, often growing in noticeable clusters on wood.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Agaricales
- **Family:** Mycenaceae
- **Genus:** Mycena

## Interesting facts

- Some of their relatives glow in the dark, but not the Common Bonnet itself!
- Their cap edges can be wavy or scalloped, like a tiny, crinkled pie crust!
- Their caps often look like tiny umbrellas, but they're too small for real rain!
- These fungi grow from buried wood, sometimes seeming to sprout right from the ground!

## Special abilities

- **Nutrient Recycler:** Common Bonnet can break down dead wood because it uses special enzymes to release nutrients back into the forest soil.
- **Community Builder:** Common Bonnet has a tendency to grow in large groups, helping to carpet logs and stumps with many tiny mushrooms.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 3-10 cm
- **Edible:** inedible
- **Size:** 1-4 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** wood
- **Season:** Spring, Summer, Fall
- **Spore Color:** White

## Ecological connections

- **Depends on:** Pedunculate Oak (*Quercus robur*) — Decomposes dead wood from these trees.
- **Depends on:** [European Beech](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-beech) (*Fagus sylvatica*) — Helps break down fallen logs and stumps.
- **Depends on:** [Norway Spruce](https://www.snappit.app/explore/norway-spruce) (*Picea abies*) — Can also be found decomposing coniferous wood.

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Do not touch or eat wild mushrooms.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Common Bonnet?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Common Bonnet?

3-10 cm

### Is Common Bonnet edible?

inedible

### How big is Common Bonnet?

1-4 cm

### Where is Common Bonnet usually found?

Moist, shaded areas in forests, particularly in leaf litter.

### What does Common Bonnet grow on?

wood

### When is Common Bonnet in season?

Spring, Summer, Fall

### What color are Common Bonnet spores?

White

## Where to spot

- [West Springfield Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/west-springfield-park) — Virginia, US · Park

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Common Bonnet: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-bonnet)