Identifying mushrooms

A number of mushrooms have been popping up all over my garden beds, but one in particular is especially abundant. These mushrooms produce fruit every time there is a steady rain. While I checked out the book Texas Mushrooms from the library, it didn't help me identify this mushroom, but it was fun trying. After posting these photos to a couple of online forums and having a friend and trusted wild forager visit my garden, I was able to finally decide these are crumble cap mushrooms, Psathyrella candolleana, which I occasionally eat. Please read my "Note about eating wild mushrooms" at the end of this post.

As they mature, the mushrooms change color from a deep brown to a pale yellow or off white.

At left is a young mushroom, which matures into an open disc that exposes the gills underneath to release spores.

Cross section of young mushroom, left, and mature mushroom right.

 Detail of young mushroom gills.

Detail of mature mushroom gills. Notice how dark the gills of the mature mushroom are compared to the young mushroom -- those are the spores.

A print shows reddish brown spores

Note about eating wild mushrooms:
The spore print was key in identifying Psathyrella candolleana, according to the person who identified it online. There are many mushrooms that resemble each other, but have different color spore prints or growth habits. Indicators for Psathyrella candolleana include the mushroom's size (2 to 5 inches tall, they are quite variable), change in color as it matures (they often start dark colored and begin to lighten as they grow; however, sometimes they are dark colored the entire time), and the way the cap matures (it splits and turns convex, before completely falling apart). The final bit of info that gave me the confidence to actually try eating one was having an experienced forager look at it and confirm it's a mushroom she'd eaten before.

When trying a new mushroom I've read that foragers keep a mushroom in safe keeping in case of poisoning, that way it can accompany them to the emergency room. At first, I ate a single cap and kept a few caps in the fridge, just in case. A few days later, I ate a handful. Since I didn't feel sick and they tasted earthy with a hint of radish, I decided to harvest all I could the next time it rain and made the dish in my "Garden mushroom harvest" blog post. I'm still alive!