It is also popular in Northern Spain and Southern France, in the Basque Country region and its surroundings where it appears in April.

It was previously considered a part of the large genus Tricholoma and is still seen as T. gambosum in older texts.

Initially described as Agaricus gambosus by Elias Magnus Fries in his 1821 work Systema Mycologicum,[2] with its specific epithet derived from a Latin term for "club footed" in relation to its bulky stipe.

[1] It was later named Tricholoma gambosum by Paul Kummer in 1871,[3] before being reclassified as Calocybe gambosa by Marinus Anton Donk in 1962.

[5] The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms kalos "pretty", and cubos "head".

[6] In Denmark it is called Vårmousseron, appearing in spring—early May [7] The cap measures from 5–15 cm (2 to 6 inches) in diameter and has a smooth texture and has ridges on it.

On the South Downs in southern England, it has formed huge fairy rings that appear to be several hundred years old.