What is "marasmius oreades"

Fairy \Fair"y\, a.

1. Of or pertaining to fairies.

2. Given by fairies; as, fairy money.
   --Dryden.

   Fairy bird (Zo["o]l.), the Euoropean little tern ( Sterna minuta); -- called also sea swallow, and hooded tern.

   Fairy bluebird. (Zo["o]l.) See under Bluebird.

   Fairy martin (Zo["o]l.), a European swallow ( Hirrundo ariel) that builds flask-shaped nests of mud on overhanging cliffs.

   Fairy rings or Fairy circles, the circles formed in grassy lawns by certain fungi (as Marasmius Oreades), formerly supposed to be caused by fairies in their midnight dances; also, the mushrooms themselves. Such circles may have diameters larger than three meters.

   Fairy shrimp (Zo["o]l.), a European fresh-water phyllopod crustacean ( Chirocephalus diaphanus); -- so called from its delicate colors, transparency, and graceful motions. The name is sometimes applied to similar American species.

   Fairy stone (Paleon.), an echinite.

Marasmius \Marasmius\ prop. n. A genus of chiefly small white-spored mushrooms, including the Marasmius oreades, the mushroon that grow in a fairy ring.

Syn: genus Marasmius.

Champignon \Cham*pi"gnon\, n. [F., a mushroom, ultimately fr. L. campus field. See Camp.] (Bot.) An edible species of mushroom ( Agaricus campestris).

Fairy ring champignon, the Marasmius oreades, which has a strong flavor but is edible.

Marasmius oreades, the Scotch bonnet, is also known as the fairy ring mushroom or fairy ring champignon. The latter name tends to cause some confusion, as many other mushrooms grow in fairy rings (such as the edible Agaricus campestris, the poisonous Chlorophyllum molybdites, and many others).