Inocybe vulpinella Foxy Fibrecap

Inocybe vulpinella, Foxy Fibrecap, is a nationally rare species of coastal sand dunes. It is usually found growing with Creeping Willow in wet sandy areas in West Glamorgan where it appears in Spring and Autumn. It has a very distinctive appearance. The cap is a reddish-brown colour and is covered in coarse scales. The stem has a powdery (pruinose) covering, particularly at the top and a clear pale, almost white, coloured bulb at its base. Some useful microscopic characters include the large, thick-walled, encrusted cheilocystidia on the gills and the very large spores (up to 18 microns in length). It is a notable dune assemblage species in Wales.