More Urban Species: Wine Cap Stropharia

Wine Cap
Stropharia rugosoannulata

Many North American mushrooms happen to grow in man-made habitats, including the city. The wine cap is not known to grow anywhere else. Its favored habitat is the wood chips that accompany landscaping projects, but it is also found at the margins of gardens and footpaths. 1

This large attractive mushroom is cultivated for food in Europe and China, and is one of the most biggest mushroom crops overseas. 2  The fact that it does not grow in natural landscapes in North America suggests that the fungus is native to Eurasia, and was introduced in soil or other garden products. It is likely that there is a native North American competitor that prevents wine cap from establishing itself in non-man made habitats. 3

Promisingly, it has been found that the wine cap fungus depends on bacteria, including fecal coliform bacteria, for growth. Experiments with mycelium-permiated wood chips point to a possible use for this fungus as a filter for harmful bacteria. 4

The wine cap gets that common name from the beautiful burgundy color of the immature and mature fruiting bodies. As they age they fade and lose color; fresh specimens that are tan rather than wine colored can be found, as well. The spore-bearing surface underneath the cap is purplish gray, and the spores and spore print are purple-brown to black. The species name rugosoannulata means wrinkled ring, and refers to the robust annulus on the stalk. Other common names for this mushroom include King Stropharia and Garden Giant.




1. The Mushroom Expert
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/stropharia_rugosoannulata.html

2. Unicorn Bags, a commercial cultivation supply company
http://www.unicornbag.com/cultivation/stru.shtml

3. David Arora, Mushrooms Demystified second edition, Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 1986, pp. 378-9

4. Mushrooms in agroforestry.
http://www.agroforestry.net/overstory/overstory33.html

Detailed identification tips.
http://www.messiah.edu/Oakes/fungi_on_wood/gilled%20fungi/species%20pages/Stropharia%20rugosoannulata.htm

3:00 snapshot #355

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