commonly known snapping species mushroom family found europe north_america grows ground leaves damp places especially small pale gray whitish fruit bodies usually attached small sticks buried leaves distinguished long slender stems root ground cap reaches grayish white gills underside cap spaced attached stem contains compound potential use agriculture taxonomy naming described swedish mycologist assigned white bodied variant var described italy differs main species white fruit bodies differing measurements microscopic characters named variety meaning field differs type variety cap shorter thicker stem typical habitat meadows applied species authors bull species recognized distinct specific epithet derived latin word good tying binding mushroom common snapping handbook british fungi called description cap initially bell shaped maturity typically reaches dimensions young cap margin pressed stem cap expands bell shaped somewhat margin curves inward cap surface initially soon polished moist shiny dry cap margin slight grooves mark position gills underneath cap color grayish paler margins fading pale gray nearly white age occasionally mushroom cap strong brownish fresh moist mushrooms slightly sticky surface flesh thin grayish lacks distinctive odor taste gills attached tooth narrowly close narrow equal white grayish edges slightly eroded berkeley noted gills vary good deal colour dark stem long thick equal width tough stem color brown pink color usually straight curved base roots debris attached sticks smith noted optimal weather conditions robust forms found strict rigid appearance buried portion stem covered thick stiff whitish hairs surrounded thin layer causes touch color initially bluish black soon gray nearly color cap apex somewhat mushroom microscopic characteristics spores ellipsoid hyaline measure basidia spore bearing cells spored pleurocystidia cystidia gill face differentiated occasionally present near gill edge similar cheilocystidia cystidia gill edge cheilocystidia measure tapered end projections arising apex gill flesh brown tissue layer directly underneath hymenium narrow interwoven hyphae central portion composed long cylindrical moderately broad cells flesh cap fairly thick differentiated body stain brown habitat distribution fruit bodies found growing scattered groups debris hardwood mixed hardwood forests pacific_coast abundant red eastern north_america commonly found growing autumn months october november fungus widely distributed europe example britain germany italy norway poland portugal chemistry fruit bodies contain compound compounds produced fungi help secure resources giving advantage competing fungi investigated potential use lead compounds agricultural
Mycena vitilis