The Liberty Cap is distributed from southern Oregon north 
to British Columbia in the territory enclosed by the mountains 
of the Coast Range and the ocean. I have found it occasionally 
on the eastern side of the coastal mountains, and it may be 
moving into that region. It grows after rains in open, recently 
used cow pastures between the Autumn Equinox and Winter 
Solstice, sometimes fruiting into early January. In some loca- 
tions, a second fruiting may occur in the spring. I have col- 
lected this mushroom as late as mid-June in the Oregon Coast 
Range. 
The Liberty Cap grows out of the ground near cow manure, 
often in or near tall clumps of sedge, and its habit of growth is 
solitary or grouped. The cap is conical, 0.3-3.0 cm. in diameter, 
with a distinct umbo or “‘nipple’’ at the apex. As the mushroom 
ages, the nipple becomes more distinct due to settling of the cap 
on the stipe. The cap has a viscid pellicle when wet and is 
variable in color, ranging from a dingy gray-brown when fresh 
to deep golden brown and light yellow-tan when bleached by 
the sun. The margin of the cap is inrolled when young and 
shows faint striations. The flesh is very thin and translucent to 
light near the margin. 
The gills are attached to the stipe, appearing light to choco- 
late brown when young, becoming dark purple-brown as the 
spores mature. The stipe is 2-13 cm. long, 1-3 mm. wide, witha 
characteristic elastic pliancy. It may show blueing at the base, 
especially at the point of junction with the underground 
mycelium. Otherwise, blueing is not an obvious field character. 
Eaters of the Liberty Cap are not prone to divulge locations 
of favorite collecting grounds; in this habit, they resemble 
hunters of prized edible species, such as morels (Morchella 
spp.). If one knows where and how to look, large collections 
are possible. Good hunters may get a pound of Liberty Cap in 
an hour or ten pounds in a day — respectable quantities when 
one considers that a pound represents many hundreds of these 
delicate little mushrooms. In the fall of 1975, extremely heavy 
fruitings of this species in Oregon permitted collectors to 
gather enough mushrooms to sell them. In Eugene, Liberty 
Caps sold for $75 to $100 a pound, wet weight. 
An average dose of this species is 20 whole mushrooms, 
often eaten just as they are picked. I have met persons who 
prefer the effects of two or three mushrooms and others who 
like to eat up to a hundred at a time. Several informants told me 
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