 Mycena cinerella is a saprobic fungus , and derives nutrients by decomposing leaf litter and similar detritus , converting it to humus and mineralizing organic matter in the soil . The fruit bodies grow in groups on needles under pine and Douglas fir , typically in the late summer and autumn . In the United States , it has been collected from Michigan , Washington , Oregon , and California . In Europe , it has also been collected from the Great Britain , Norway , Poland , and Sweden . 
