Lepiota aspera  (Pers.) Quél. (1886)                                         *All collections from N. California
Syn: Lepiota
acutesquamosa  

Lepiota acutesquamosa would probably be a better name for these collections, but that name has been synonymized with Lepiota aspera. It would be interesting to compare European and American material. The variance of the annulus is remarkable -- within the same patch it varies from solidly membranous and persistent, to Cortinarius-like, cobwebby and evanescent. Locally this specie tends to develop deeply in a thick bed of woodchips and I have not been able to obtain a clean collection that shows the acutely squamulose pileus. The odor of this mushroom is like rubber. Some Scleroderma species have that smell. Better photographs than these should be coming after the first opportunity.

Cortinarius-like, cobwebby veil.

Spores: 7.5-8.5 x 3.3-4μ uniquely shaped, some spurred, dextrinoid