Mower’s Mushroom: Official Fungus of the American Dream.

We’ve probably all seen this mushroom at one point or another. It’s something like the squirrel of the fungal kingdom. Ubiquitous. Suburban. I almost want to say “American.” The kind of mushroom you might encounter at a Memorial day bbq. Grass, ants, hot dogs…and Panaeolus foenisecii.

Mycologically, what are its distinctive characteristics? Perhaps the most interesting characteristic of the mower’s mushroom, is that it is hygrophanous, meaning that it changes color as it absorbs or loses water. This can create darker and lighter bands on the cap surface.

Other than that, the main key identifying features are its small size (if you find something larger than say an inch and a half you have something else), and its grassy habitat. Some people claim that it is a psychoactive mushroom, probably because they are confusing it with other mushrooms in the same genus, which are either larger, or have jet black gills. But who knows, maybe it does act on some people that way. Luckily, it’s not poisonous, as large quantities are probably ingested by small children and pets across the States annually.

It’s not the most fascinating mushroom out there, but at least now you know what it is you are blending up every Saturday as you mow your lawn.

On a side note, some people apparently worry about what Panaeolus foenesecii means for the health of their lawn, or if they should try to eradicate it. All it means is that organic matter is being broken down into a more usable form for plants like grass, that can’t otherwise unlock those nutrients. So one, it would be counter-productive to eradicate it, and two, it would probably take an atom bomb.