# Conecaps (*conocybe*)

Conecaps are small mushrooms that look like little cones popping up from the ground! They come in various colors and can often be found in damp, shaded areas like forests.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Conecaps live in forests, grasslands, and other damp areas.
- **Also known as:** Cone Fungi, Cone Mushrooms, Shaggy Caps

![Conecaps](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/2008-12-23_Conocybe_tenera_%28Schaeff.%29_Fayod_33118_crop.jpg&width=800)

Photo: This image was created by user Ron Pastorino (Ronpast) at Mushroom Observer , a source for mycological images. You can contact this user her, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2008-12-23_Conocybe_tenera_%28Schaeff.%29_Fayod_33118_crop.jpg)

## Appearance

The Conecaps has a small, delicate appearance with a cap that starts as a cone and often flattens to a bell-shape as it matures, typically yellowish to brownish. Its slender, often brittle stem is noticeably thin and lacks a prominent ring, distinguishing it from many other meadow mushrooms.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Agaricales
- **Family:** Bolbitiaceae
- **Genus:** Conocybe

## Interesting facts

- Conecaps grow in forests, but also right in your grassy lawn!
- Some Conecaps mushrooms have toxins similar to deadly Amanita mushrooms!
- Their umbrella-like caps can change shape from pointy cones to flat bells!
- They often sprout quickly after rain, seemingly appearing overnight like magic!

## Special abilities

- **Rapid Recyclers:** Conecaps can break down dead plants and animal waste because of powerful enzymes that help them get nutrients.
- **Toxin Builders:** Some Conecaps have special chemicals that make them poisonous because of compounds that protect them from being eaten.
- **Wind Riders:** Conecaps can spread tiny spores far and wide because of their lightweight nature, helping them grow in new places.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 2-10 cm
- **Edible:** poisonous
- **Size:** 0.5-4 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** soil
- **Season:** Spring to fall
- **Spore Color:** Rusty brown

## Ecological connections

- **Eats:** [White Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-oak) (*Quercus alba*) — decomposes fallen oak leaves
- **Eats:** Red Fescue (*Festuca rubra*) — breaks down dead grass material
- **Eats:** [Cattle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cattle) (*Bos taurus*) — feeds on decomposing cattle dung

## 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.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [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:** 1/5 · Very low

Always ask an adult before touching or picking mushrooms!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Conecaps?

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 Conecaps?

2-10 cm

### Is Conecaps edible?

poisonous

### How big is Conecaps?

0.5-4 cm

### Where is Conecaps usually found?

Conecaps live in forests, grasslands, and other damp areas.

### What does Conecaps grow on?

soil

### When is Conecaps in season?

Spring to fall

### What color are Conecaps spores?

Rusty brown

## Where to spot

- [Raglan Road Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/raglan-road-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: [Conecaps: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/conecaps)