When the mornings turn damp and cool, you may notice clusters of brown mushrooms “crying” along cemetery paths or in park lawns. These somber fruit bodies belong to Lacrymaria lacrymabunda, aptly nicknamed the Weeping Widow for the black, watery droplets that bead along its gill edges. Covered in woolly hairs and sporting a central umbo (bump), the mushroom starts bell‑shaped and gradually flattens, revealing dark marbled gills with fringed margins exuding inky tears. Though sometimes listed as edible, the Weeping Widow is generally shunned because its tissue quickly turns to a black soggy mess and may cause stomach upset.
Common Names: Weeping Widow, Tear Drop Mushroom, Teardrop Fungus
Family: Psathyrellaceae
Season: Spring through autumn, most common July–October
Habitat: Saprobic in grasslands, lawns, parklands, woodland clearings and roadside verges
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
-
First Described: French mycologist Jean Baptiste Francois (Pierre) Bulliard described this species in 1785 as Agaricus lacrymabundus
-
Current Name: Narcisse Théophile Patouillard transferred it to the genus Lacrymaria in 1887, establishing the accepted name Lacrymaria lacrymabunda.
- Synonyms: This mushroom has worn many names, including Agaricus velutinus, Coprinus velutinus and Psathyrella lacrymabunda, a testament to the taxonomic headaches it’s caused mycologists.
-
Etymology:
-
Lacrymaria derives from Latin lacrima (“tear”)
-
lacrymabunda means “abounding in tears,” reflecting the black droplets that drip from its gills
-
Did You Know?
The genus and species names both reference tears—Lacrymaria lacrymabunda literally means “tear‑producer with abundant tears,” a nod to the inky droplets that ooze from its gills.
Morphology & Quick ID Guide
Cap: Initially bell-shaped and densely hairy with a woolly, in-rolled margin to which pale fragments of the veil remain attached. At maturity, caps become broadly convex, expanding to between 4 and 12cm in diameter and usually retaining a distinct umbo.
Color: Caps range from reddish‑brown to yellow‑brown and are radially streaked with lighter clay and yellow tones. Gills start pale yellow‑brown but soon darken to mottled dark brown/black, with white fringed edges.
Texture: Young caps are densely hairy or fibrillose with an in‑rolled, bearded margin that retains pale veil fragments. When moist, the gill edges exude black watery droplets of spores, creating a weeping appearance.
Stipe: Stems are 5–10 cm tall and 5–10 mm thick; pale brown with russet base; fibrous or hairy and bear a delicate ring zone that soon becomes blackened by falling spores. The flesh is fragile and hollow.
Spore Print: Black or very dark brown.
Microscopic: Spores are ellipsoidal to lemon‑shaped, warty, 8–11 × 5–7 µm with a germ pore; cheilocystidia on the gill edges are clavate with swollen tips up to 90 µm tall.
Did You Know?
Inedible or not, the Weeping Widow makes a striking photographic subject: dew‑laden gills glisten with inky “tears,” giving the mushroom its mournful name.
Ecology & Habitat
-
Lifestyle: Saprotrophic, breaking down plant debris in grasslands, parkland and roadside verges.
-
Growth Pattern: Favors disturbed or nitrogen‑rich ground—lawns, pastures, graveyards, woodland clearings and sometimes along paths. The gills shed spores onto surrounding foliage and leaf litter, often leaving a black dusting beneath the mushrooms. It fruits alone or in small gregarious clusters—often several mushrooms scattered across a lawn or graveyard.
-
Seasonality: April to November in Britain and Ireland, but most common between early July and late September.
-
Ecological Role: By decomposing dead organic matter, the Weeping Widow recycles nutrients and provides food for invertebrate larvae.
Geographic Distribution
The Weeping Widow is widespread across temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It is frequent in Britain and Ireland, occurs throughout mainland Europe, and is also found in many parts of North America. Reports also exist from Central America, northern Asia and New Zealand.
Edibility & Uses
While some guides list Lacrymaria lacrymabunda as edible, it is not recommended. The mushrooms quickly become a black, watery mess, and people have reported upset stomachs after eating them. Additionally, these fungi often grow along roadsides and can accumulate heavy metals. Enjoy their somber beauty in the field rather than the frying pan.
Observing & Photographing Tips
-
Where to Look: Search grassy lawns, cemeteries, park edges and roadside verges from midsummer through autumn. Mushrooms often appear after rain, standing singly or in small groups.
-
Capture the Tears: Visit early in the morning or after damp weather to see the characteristic black droplets on the gill edges. Use a macro or close‑up lens to focus on the gills and partial veil remnants.
-
Highlight the Cap: Photograph the hairy, bell‑shaped cap from above and the in‑rolled, bearded margin from the side.
-
Community Science: Share your sightings on iNaturalist or with local mycology groups to help map the distribution of this intriguing species.
Join an MCG Foray!
Intrigued by the Weeping Widow’s mournful charms?
Visit the Event Calendar and Register for upcoming Forays » and join the Mushroom Club of Georgia as we explore autumn woodlands and grasslands in search of unique fungi. You’ll learn field identification, photography techniques, and contribute to our citizen science projects.
References: