Mycetinis scorodonius or Fairy ring champignon
How they differ, how to recognize them and which is more dangerous — a mushroom comparison
The short answer
Mycetinis scorodonius and Fairy ring champignon are similar species that can be mixed up while foraging. The main visible difference: season: Mycetinis scorodonius — summer, autumn, Fairy ring champignon — spring, summer, autumn. The mushrooms also differ in the following features: use, size, cap color.

Mycetinis scorodonius
Mycetinis scorodonius

Fairy ring champignon
Marasmius oreades
📊 Comparing characteristics
| Characteristic | Mycetinis scorodonius | Fairy ring champignon |
|---|---|---|
| Edibility class | Mycetinis scorodonius Edible | Fairy ring champignon Edible |
| Season | Mycetinis scorodonius SummerAutumn | Fairy ring champignon SpringSummerAutumn |
| Use | Mycetinis scorodonius Drying | Fairy ring champignon Cook freshDryingPicklingMedicinal |
| Size | Mycetinis scorodonius Very small (<3 cm) | Fairy ring champignon Small (up to 5 cm) |
| Cap color | Mycetinis scorodonius CreamPinkYellow | Fairy ring champignon CreamYellowOrange |
| Cap shape | Mycetinis scorodonius Convex | Fairy ring champignon Umbonate |
| Cap surface | Mycetinis scorodonius Smooth | Fairy ring champignon Smooth |
| Taste | Mycetinis scorodonius Mild | Fairy ring champignon Mild |
| Smell | Mycetinis scorodonius Pleasant | Fairy ring champignon PleasantAlmond |
| Flesh color change | Mycetinis scorodonius No change | Fairy ring champignon No change |
| Hymenophore | Mycetinis scorodonius Gilled | Fairy ring champignon Gilled |
| Stem | Mycetinis scorodonius Central | Fairy ring champignon Central |
| Ring (veil) | Mycetinis scorodonius No ring | Fairy ring champignon No ring |
| Volva | Mycetinis scorodonius No volva | Fairy ring champignon No volva |
| Substrate | Mycetinis scorodonius Forest litterDead wood | Fairy ring champignon Soil |
| Nutrition type | Mycetinis scorodonius Saprotroph | Fairy ring champignon Saprotroph |
| Partner trees | Mycetinis scorodonius OakHornbeamHazelBirch | Fairy ring champignon — |
📅 Seasonality
Mycetinis scorodonius
Fruiting season
June – October
Fairy ring champignon
Fruiting season
May – November
🔬 Morphology
Cap
Mycetinis scorodonius
Cap 0.5-2 cm, very small. Hemispherical at first, then flattening out, with a small bump in the center. Color pinkish-cream, creamy ochre, a little darker in the center. The surface is smooth and slightly sticky in damp weather. The cap margin is even, slightly wavy in mature specimens.
Fairy ring champignon
Cap 2-5 cm across, hemispherical when young, becoming convex-flat over time with a distinct low umbo in the center. Color light ocher, creamy beige, reddish cream, darker in wet weather, paler in dry. Surface smooth, slightly sticky in wet weather. The cap margin often has fine grooves. A unique trait: a dried-out cap can "revive" after rain — it regains its shape and the gills resume releasing spores.
Hymenophore
Mycetinis scorodonius
Gilled hymenophore. The gills are distant, often with cross-veins (anastomoses), attached or free. Color white to cream. Spore print white.
Fairy ring champignon
Gilled hymenophore — the gills are distant, broad, whitish to cream, with a distinctive attachment to the stem (often free or notched). Spore print white. The contrast of distant broad gills + white spore print are diagnostic features.
Stem
Mycetinis scorodonius
The stem is thin, reddish-brown to dark chestnut, 2-5 cm tall, 0.1-0.2 cm thick, cylindrical, smooth and shiny. Unlike the garlic parachute, its color is not black but reddish, brick-colored. No ring and no volva.
Fairy ring champignon
Stem 4-8 cm tall, 0.2-0.5 cm thick, thin, cylindrical, very fibrous and springy — it practically doesn't snap when bent. Color light cream to ocher, matching the cap. Surface smooth, with no ring and no volva. It doesn't snap — it only bends — a diagnostic feature.
Flesh
Mycetinis scorodonius
Flesh very thin, springy and crisp, not watery. There's almost none in the cap. The mushroom dries perfectly — air, sun, and in a day or two it's parchment-like and keeps its aroma for months.
Fairy ring champignon
Flesh thin in the cap, fibrous in the stem, white to cream. When cut it does not change color. A distinct, pleasant mushroom smell with a fruity or almond note. Taste mild and aromatic.
Smell
Mycetinis scorodonius
A strong smell of fresh garlic — the key feature. You can smell a single specimen half a meter away. The smell grows stronger as it dries. The flesh tastes mild, purely of garlic, with no heat.
Fairy ring champignon
A distinct, pleasant mushroom smell with a fruity-almond note. It opens up when you rub the flesh and especially when dried. This is one of the most aromatic Ukrainian mushrooms.
📍 Habitats
Mycetinis scorodonius
Fairy ring champignon
👀 Similar mushrooms — don't mix them up!
❓ Frequently asked questions
Can Mycetinis scorodonius and Fairy ring champignon be mixed up?
How to tell Mycetinis scorodonius from Fairy ring champignon?
Is Fairy ring champignon edible?
When do Mycetinis scorodonius and Fairy ring champignon grow?
Sources
- [1]Вікіпедія (українська)
- [2]Атлас грибів України, Зеров Д.К. (1979)
- [3]MycoBank Database
- [4]Index Fungorum
- [5]GBIF
- [6]iNaturalist Ukraine