Garden Fungi – Leucocoprinus birnbaumii

 
Grows in POTTING COMPOST and MULCH.
 
A small, bright yellow fungus found growing in a flower pot or on deep mulch usually turns out to be Leucocoprinus birnbaumii.
 
Fruit-body: Bright lemon-yellow. Juvenile cap is ovoid then bell-shaped before aging to fairly flat with a small point. Diameter to 60 mm. The cap is covered with yellow scales and the colour tends to fade with age. Gills are yellowy-white.
 
Stem: Yellow, to 55 mm long; tapers up from 8 mm at base to 5 mm at apex; has a soft ring just below the cap.
 
Spore print: Cream white.
 
Smell: None noticed.
 
Habit: Can be solitary, but usually in clusters after rain or any time in watered pots. It also occurs in rich soil.
 
Notes: This pretty little fungus is commonly found emerging in potting compost and organic mulches. It is a cosmopolitan species which grows not only in Queensland, but around the world.