Marasmius rotula, the pinwheel mushroom, is a fungus in the

family Marasmiaceae. Widespread in the Northern Hemisphere, it was

first described scientifically in 1772 by mycologist Giovanni Antonio
Scopoli. The mushrooms are characterized by thin whitish caps up to
2 cm (0.8 in) wide that are sunken in the center and pleated with
scalloped margins. The wiry black hollow stalks measure up to 8.0 cm
(3.1 in) long by 1.5 mm (0.06 in) thick. On the underside of the caps are
widely spaced white gills, attached to a collar encircling the stalk. The
mushrooms grow in groups or clusters on decaying wood such as fallen
twigs and sticks, moss-covered logs, and stumps. Spore release is
dependent upon sufficient moisture. Dried mushrooms may revive after
rehydrating and release spores for up to three weeks, much longer than
most gilled mushrooms. Although the mushrooms are not generally
considered edible, they produce a unique peroxidaseenzyme that is
attracting research interest for use in bioengineering applications.
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