Size

Small (up to 5 cm)

Mushrooms whose mature cap is 3 to 5 centimeters across belong to the "Small" category. They are bigger than the tiny LBMs (little brown mushrooms) and easy to see from standing height, but they rarely grow alone, preferring to grow in masses (groups or clusters).

24 species in the database.

Culinary treasures in a "small" size

Although each mushroom is small, they are often picked by the basketful, because they grow in large colonies:

1. Velvet shank / Flammulina (Flammulina velutipes): A classic small mushroom (3-5 cm) that grows in bright orange bouquets on trees in winter. The Japanese cultivate it in darkness (enoki), where it grows even smaller and with a long stem.

2. Trumpet chanterelle (Craterellus tubaeformis): A small relative of the common chanterelle that carpets moss in late autumn.

3. Fairy ring champignon (Marasmius oreades): A small meadow mushroom with a wonderfully pleasant smell that forms large "fairy rings" on pastures. Excellent for drying.

Poisonous "little ones"

Unfortunately, this size category includes many dangerous species that inexperienced foragers often mistake for honey fungus:

- Fibrecaps (Inocybe): Most of these deadly dangerous mushrooms (which contain muscarine) are about 4-5 cm across and have a characteristic conical cap.

- Sulphur tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare): A poisonous mushroom that grows in the same dense clusters on stumps as edible honey fungus, but has smaller bright yellow (lemon) caps and gills that turn green.

Questions and answers

What's the most efficient way to pick small mushrooms (up to 5 cm) without wearing yourself out?

Picking small mushrooms (like velvet shanks) one by one takes a lot of time. The best tactic is to find spots where they grow in large numbers and cut whole clusters (bunches) right at the base with a knife, and then, back home in the warmth, sort them and trim off the tough parts of the stems.

Sources

1.Зерова М.Я. та ін. Визначник грибів України. 1979
2.Roger Phillips. Mushrooms (Roger Phillips)
3.David Arora. Mushrooms Demystified
4.Index Fungorum