Synonyme:
Agaricus procerus.
English: Parasol mushroom; Snake's hat; Snake's sponge.
German: Gemeine Riesenschirmling; Parasol; Riesenschirmpilz.
Dutch: Grote parasolzwam.
Region: widespread in temperate regions, Europe.
Habitat: well-drained soils, pastures, occasionally in woodland.
Use: very popular edible fungus, slightly toxic when raw; popularly sauteed in melted butter; usually run through egg and breadcrumbs and then fried in a pan with some oil or butter; a savory Slovak recipe is to bake caps stuffed with ground pork, oregano, and garlic. Italians and Austrians also serve the young, still spherical caps stuffed with seasoned minced beef, baked in the same manner as stuffed peppers.
MycologyIt is a basidiomycete fungus with a large, prominent fruiting body resembling a parasol. It is solitary or in groups, in fairy rings. The cap has a impressive diameter of up to 40 cm. The stipe is relatively thin, very fibrous, inedible. The surface is characteristically wrapped in a snakeskin-like pattern of scaly growths, compact and egg-shaped when immature, the cap margin around the stipe, the margin breaks off when maturing, leaving a fleshy, movable ring around the stipe. The cap is more or less flat when mature, with a chocolate-brown umbo in the centre that is leathery to touch. Dark and cap-coloured flakes remain on the upper surface of the cap and can be removed easily. The gills are crowded, free, white with a pale pink tinge. The spore print is white. It has a pleasant nutty smell. When sliced, the white flesh may turn a pale pink.