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Small white stinking dapperlings with brown scaled centers
Poisonousintermediate

Stinking Dapperling

Lepiota cristata

A small white Lepiota with a brown center and concentric scales, a fragile ring, and a rubbery chemical smell.

Photo: mycowalt, CC BY-SA
Compiled by Mushroom Forage Map field deskExpert review pendingContent checked
Toxicity warning

Poisonous. Several small Lepiota contain deadly amatoxins; treat every small Lepiota as potentially lethal.

Season
Summer to autumn
Habitat
Disturbed ground, lawns, gardens, and woodland edges
Underside
Free white gills
Spore evidence
White

Where it grows

Tracked records and known growing zone

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Squares: where people recorded it, brighter where more people did
Verified records
1,472
People who recorded it
1,068
Most records (northern hemisphere)
Aug–Oct
Records span
1986–2026

Research-grade iNaturalist records, snapshot Aug 27, 2026. The growing zone combines areas where different people have repeatedly verified it. Records show where people looked and found it, not current abundance or permission to gather.

Observation season

When field records occur

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Lookalikes to rule out

Deadly dapperlings

deadly

Lepiota brunneoincarnata and relatives contain amatoxins and look similar.

Identification

The cap is small, rarely over 5 cm, white with a smooth brown center and concentric rings of small brown scales. Gills are white and free. The thin stem has a fragile ring that is easily lost. The smell is unpleasant, like rubber or gas.

Why it matters

Stinking dapperling itself causes gastrointestinal poisoning, and it belongs to a group of small Lepiota that includes species with amatoxins. Rule: never eat a small parasol.

Memorable fact

Its smell is often the first clue that a small parasol-like mushroom is a Lepiota.

Sources

Never eat a mushroom from this page alone

Confirm identity using the whole specimen, multiple reputable sources, and a qualified local expert. Identified edible species still require appropriate preparation. Cooking does not make a poisonous mushroom safe.

Safety and poison response
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