hangs from the damp forest dead wood
- Size
- Cap: 5-15 mm diam.
- Lifespan
- Unknown
- Diet
- Saprotrophic, decomposing dead wood and leaf litter to release nutrients back into the forest soil.
- Habitat
- On decaying wood and leaf litter in damp native forest with high humidity and moderate shade.
- Range
- Found in native forests throughout New Zealand, particularly in damp, shaded areas with decaying wood.
- Endemism
- Native
- Main Threats
- Habitat disturbance from logging, fire, or heavy grazing affecting soil moisture and mycelial networks.
- Population
- Common in wet forests throughout New Zealand, particularly in autumn on rotting logs and buried wood.
- Conservation Status
- Not Threatened
- Human Risk
- caution
- Handling Note
- inedible; do not ingest
- Conservation Note
- Native fungus; not assessed by NZTCS as fungi are generally outside the scope of current threat classifications.
- Te Ao Māori
- Māori names for specific parachute species are not recorded in standard dictionaries. In a kaitiakitanga framework, these fungi represent the resilience of the forest. Their ability to revive after drying out signals a persistent life force. Protecting them means preserving the integrity of the forest ecosystem and the unseen processes that sustain it. The revival is not magic. It is mechanics.
Autumn brings the rain. The air cools. The forest floor becomes a sponge of moss and leaf litter. It is in this wet, grey season that the Collared Parachute appears. It does not shout. It does not demand attention. The cap is small, white, and distinctly pleated, like a tiny parachute or a miniature umbrella. The pleats radiate from the centre to the margin, giving it a star-like appearance when viewed from above. It is dry to the touch, sometimes slightly sticky in wet weather. As it ages, the centre may darken to a pale brown, but the margins remain white. It is a delicate fungus, easily overlooked among the debris.
The danger is not obvious. Like many small mushrooms, it is not edible. It is too insubstantial to be of culinary value, and its toxicity is unknown. It is best left alone. Its beauty is in its structure, not its flavour. The gills are white and crowded. They are attached to a collarettum, a small collar around the stem, which is a defining feature of the genus Marasmius. The stem is slender, black, and wiry. It does not have a ring. It does not have a web. It stands alone, supporting the small cap. The flesh is thin and fragile. It smells faintly of earth, nothing more.
This fungus is saprotrophic. It does not form mycorrhizal relationships with trees. Instead, it feeds on decaying organic matter, breaking down dead wood and leaf litter. In doing so, it releases nutrients back into the soil. It is a recycler, working in the shadows of the forest. Without it, the debris would pile up. The forest floor would stagnate. The Collared Parachute is efficient. It consumes what is dead to feed what is living.
Collared Parachutes are found throughout New Zealand, from the northern forests to the southern beech lands. They fruit in autumn, often in large numbers on rotting logs or buried wood. They are known for their ability to revive after drying out. When the rain returns, they unfold again, ready to release spores. This resilience is their survival strategy. They wait for the conditions to return. They do not rush. It carries on.