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White dapperling (Leucocoprinus leucothites), whole fruiting body
Diego Blanco · CC0
Inedible

White dapperling

Leucocoprinus leucothites · Agaricaceae

The white dapperling (Leucocoprinus leucothites), formerly Leucoagaricus leucothites and Lepiota leucothites, is a medium-sized, smooth white, ringed mushroom of lawns, parks and roadsides.

Last updated: Prepared by the Poros Mantar editorial team5 sources checkedReport a correction

FamilyAgaricaceae
SeasonOct–Dec
Spore printWhite
Cap width4–10 cm
Stem length5–10 cm
Records in Turkey17 records
CultivationWild only
StatusInedible

The white dapperling (Leucocoprinus leucothites), formerly Leucoagaricus leucothites and Lepiota leucothites, is a medium-sized, smooth white, ringed mushroom of lawns, parks and roadsides. Its gills are white and may turn faintly pink with age, but never brown as in the field mushroom; the spore print is white. Some sources call it edible, but digestive upsets have been reported and it closely resembles deadly white Amanita and Lepiota species. Our advice is not to eat it.

Also called: smooth parasol, white Agaricus mushroom Turkish: Yalancı çayır mantarı Synonyms: Leucoagaricus leucothites, Lepiota leucothites, Leucoagaricus naucinus, Lepiota naucina

White dapperling (Leucocoprinus leucothites), whole fruiting body

How to recognise it

White dapperling, part by part

No volva Spore print: White Faint, pleasant mushroomy or not distinctive.

White dapperling (Leucocoprinus leucothites), cap seen from above
Cap4–10 cm, egg-shaped or hemispherical at first, then convex and flattening; white or dirty cream, smooth and silky, the centre sometimes faintly greyish brown.
White dapperling (Leucocoprinus leucothites), gills under the cap, seen from below
GillsWhite, crowded, free gills that become faintly pinkish cream with age but never turn brown.
White dapperling (Leucocoprinus leucothites), stem and stem base
Stem5–10 cm tall and 5–15 mm thick, white and smooth; the base is slightly bulbous but has no sac, and may bruise faintly brownish when handled.
White dapperling (Leucocoprinus leucothites), whole fruiting body
RingPresent: a thin, white, movable ring on the upper stem, sometimes lost.

When and where

Oct–Dec

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Octin season
  11. Novin season
  12. Decin season

The white dapperling appears in grass in autumn, after rain. Our Turkish records fall in October, November and December, most of them in October.

Type Inedible

Months seen OctoberNovemberDecember

Colour White

Regions Black Sea RegionCentral Anatolia RegionMediterranean RegionAegean RegionMarmara RegionManisaTrabzonOsmaniyeSamsunKaramanBoluYalovaIstanbul

Where does white dapperling grow?

Lawns, parks, gardens, pastures and roadsides, growing from soil singly or in scattered groups; rare inside woodland.

Where is white dapperling found in Turkey?

Our map data (GBIF and iNaturalist) holds 12 Turkish records: 4 from Istanbul, 2 from Manisa and one each from Muğla, Osmaniye, Trabzon, Bolu, Karaman and Yalova. It has also been confirmed morphologically and molecularly, as Leucoagaricus leucothites, from a specimen collected in Bingöl (Dızkırıcı et al., 2019).

Which months

  1. Jan0
  2. Feb0
  3. Mar0
  4. Apr0
  5. May0
  6. Jun0
  7. Jul0
  8. Aug0
  9. Sep3
  10. Oct6
  11. Nov3
  12. Dec5

9 provinces, 17 observations (GBIF, iNaturalist); months from observation dates. Record density also reflects where observers work.

Latest white dapperling observations

On "illustrative" cards the image is a photo of the species; the observation photo cannot be shown here because of its licence, but can be seen at the source.

White dapperling (Leucocoprinus leucothites), in its natural habitat
In its habitat

Look-alikes

What could it be confused with?

White dapperling can be mistaken for the species below. Each card shows the look-alike and how it differs from White dapperling.

White dapperling (Leucocoprinus leucothites), whole fruiting body
This species White dapperling
Death cap (Amanita phalloides), whole fruiting body Deadly

not White dapperling

Death cap Amanita phalloides

The death cap usually grows near trees; its cap is often olive green or yellowish, but pale white forms exist. It has a sac-like volva at the stem base. The white dapperling has no volva, but the base must be dug out carefully before the two can be told apart.

Destroying angel (Amanita virosa), whole fruiting body Deadly

not White dapperling

Destroying angel Amanita virosa

The destroying angel is also all white, ringed and white-spored, but it grows in woodland, has a shaggy stem and a sac-like volva at the base. Confusing the two can be fatal.

Deadly dapperling (Lepiota brunneoincarnata), whole fruiting body Deadly

not White dapperling

Deadly dapperling Lepiota brunneoincarnata

The deadly dapperling is smaller, with a cap covered in pinkish brown scales and brown bands on the stem. The white dapperling's cap is smooth and white.

Field mushroom (Agaricus campestris), whole fruiting body Edible species

not White dapperling

Field mushroom Agaricus campestris

The field mushroom also grows in grass and is white, but its gills are pink when young and chocolate brown when mature, and its spore print is dark brown. The white dapperling's gills stay white and its spore print is white.

Yellow stainer (Agaricus xanthodermus), whole fruiting body Poisonous

not White dapperling

Yellow stainer Agaricus xanthodermus

The yellow stainer turns bright chrome yellow when the stem base is cut or scratched and smells of ink or phenol; its gills turn brown. The white dapperling does not yellow and its gills stay white.

What it contains

It is often found among white mushrooms picked in the belief that they are field mushrooms; gills that stay white and a white spore print are the first signs that separate it from brown-spored Agaricus species. Following genetic studies it was moved from Leucoagaricus to Leucocoprinus.

General information, not a health claim.

Some sources list the white dapperling as edible, but digestive upsets have been reported by people who ate it. The greater risk is that its white cap, white gills, ring and white spore print make it look very like the deadly death cap, destroying angel and Lepiota species. Our advice is not to eat it. If poisoning is suspected, call poison control and keep any leftover mushroom.

Frequently asked questions

Is the white dapperling edible?

Our advice is not to eat it. Some sources call it edible, but digestive upsets have been reported and it is very easily confused with deadly white mushrooms.

Is the white dapperling poisonous?

It is not considered deadly, but it is reported to cause stomach upsets in some people. The main danger is confusing it with the death cap and destroying angel.

How do you tell it from the field mushroom?

The field mushroom's gills go from pink to chocolate brown and its spore print is dark brown. The white dapperling's gills stay white and its spore print is white.

How do you tell it from the death cap?

The death cap has a sac-like volva at the stem base and usually grows near trees. The white dapperling has no volva, but the whole base must be dug out to check. A white, white-gilled, ringed mushroom should never be treated as safe.

Is it the same as Leucoagaricus leucothites?

Yes. It is also known as Lepiota leucothites and Leucoagaricus leucothites, and was moved to Leucocoprinus following genetic studies.

Where does it grow?

In lawns, parks, gardens, pastures and roadsides, from soil, singly or in scattered groups.

When does it appear?

In autumn, after rain; our Turkish records fall in October, November and December.

Where is it found in Turkey?

Our map data holds 12 records from Istanbul, Manisa, Muğla, Osmaniye, Trabzon, Bolu, Karaman and Yalova, with a published record from Bingöl too.

When is white dapperling season in Turkey?

In our calendar, white dapperling season runs Oct–Dec. The white dapperling appears in grass in autumn, after rain. Our Turkish records fall in October, November and December, most of them in October.

Where does white dapperling grow?

Lawns, parks, gardens, pastures and roadsides, growing from soil singly or in scattered groups; rare inside woodland.

Where is white dapperling found in Turkey?

Our map data (GBIF and iNaturalist) holds 12 Turkish records: 4 from Istanbul, 2 from Manisa and one each from Muğla, Osmaniye, Trabzon, Bolu, Karaman and Yalova. It has also been confirmed morphologically and molecularly, as Leucoagaricus leucothites, from a specimen collected in Bingöl (Dızkırıcı et al., 2019).

What can white dapperling be confused with?

White dapperling can be confused with death cap (Amanita phalloides, deadly), destroying angel (Amanita virosa, deadly), deadly dapperling (Lepiota brunneoincarnata, deadly), field mushroom (Agaricus campestris, edible species) and yellow stainer (Agaricus xanthodermus, poisonous). Look-alikes are compared on this page.

What is white dapperling called in Turkish?

In Turkish, white dapperling (Leucocoprinus leucothites) is called Yalancı çayır mantarı.

Related species

All species → · Identify by photo →

Sources

  1. Dızkırıcı, Kalmer ve Acar (2019), Mantar Dergisi 10(2): 143–150, Morphologic and Molecular Diagnosis of Some Leucoagaricus Species and Revealing a New Record from Turkey dergipark.org.tr
  2. Wikipedia (EN): Leucocoprinus leucothites en.wikipedia.org
  3. First Nature: Leucoagaricus leucothites, White Dapperling first-nature.com
All sources (5)
  1. iNaturalist: Leucocoprinus leucothites (Türkçe ad ve Türkiye gözlemleri) inaturalist.org
  2. GBIF: Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
Photo credits (10)