May Mushroom of the Month: Silky Rosegill, Volvariella bombycina

May 13

Written By Central Texas Mycological Society

🍄⭐The May mushroom of the month is Silky Rosegill, Volvariella bombycina

🙌 to Monica for correctly identifying this mushroom and the newest member of the society.

You can also be a supporting member to stay dialed-in with events & discover next month’s mystery mushroom.

pretty in pink

Volvariella bombycina—also known by a few charming names like silky sheath, silky rosegill, silver-silk straw mushroom, or tree mushroom—is an edible mushroom from the Pluteaceae family. It’s not super common, but it does show up in quite a few places around the world, including Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Europe, and North America. You’ll usually spot it growing alone or in small clusters, often tucked into old knotholes or damaged spots on elm and maple trees. When it first appears, its gills are a bright white, but as it matures and the spores develop, they take on a soft pinkish hue.

Taxonomy & Ecology

The fruit bodies of Volvariella bombycina are initially egg-shaped when still enclosed in the universal veil. As they expand, the caps later becoming bell-shaped or convex, and finally nearly flattened in age, attaining a diameter of 5–20 centimeters. The dry cap surface is covered with silky threads. Its color is white to yellowish, becoming more pale approaching the margin. The flesh is thin, soft, and white, and has an odor resembling raw potatoes. The gills are crowded close together, free from attachment to the stem.

Fruit bodies grow singly or in small groups on trunks and decayed stumps of dead hardwoods. It is often found in clefts and knotholes of dead or living tree trunks. It has been noted to fruit in the same location for several years. Despite its preference for hardwoods, it has been reported growing on rare instances on coniferous wood.

foragers delight

Foragers lucky enough to come across fresh silky rosegills are in for a treat! These mushrooms are a close relative of the paddy straw mushroom, Volvariella volvacea, a common ingredient in Asian dishes. Silky rosegill mushrooms have a mild, pleasant flavor, often described as radish-like, with a faint bean sprout smell. Some people find them to have a creaminess reminiscent of porcini mushrooms.