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Dave W

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Everything posted by Dave W

  1. I believe that the current understanding of Lactarius indigo is that the name represents a group of similar species. Post mature Lactarius mushrooms sometimes fail to produce mush latex, especially if the weather has been dry. Gently press your finger on the cut flesh to see if any moisture forms on your finger. Less blurry photos would be helpful.
  2. Yes, I think Candolleomyces candolleanus (formerly Psathyrella candolleana). But, seeing additional features would possibly increase confidence.
  3. I agree with svs's suggestion. It looks like the Entoloma abortivum fungus infected some Armillaria just as the latter was beginning to fruit, resulting in a "partially aborted" fruit body. The "Shrimp of the Woods" are actually parasitized Armillaria mushrooms. Entoloma abortivum is not known to parasitize any type of puffball species.... only Armillaria species.
  4. I agree with strolling, more details are needed. At a minimum, photos of the underside and the entire stalk.
  5. Gomphus clavatus does not have straight sharp-edged gills like are seen in Heyogeo's photos.
  6. Benners's puffballs look like Apioperdon pyriforme (until recently, Lycoperdon pyriforme). The common name if "Pear-shaped Puffball." The outer surface is tan from the beginning. Unlike the white-surfaced Lycoperdon perlatum, there is little ornamentation on the cap surfaces, often none.
  7. Are the undersides of the fronds yellow or white? If you rub one if the fronds does it darken after about 20 minutes?
  8. Agaricus is a very large genus with around 400 species recognized worldwide and probably many other undocumented species. There are 6 subgenera. Subgenus Agaricus contains the species A. campestris as well as other similar species that are sometimes casually grouped together under the heading "Agaricus campstris group" and commonly referred to as "Meadow Mushrooms." Agaricus arvensis (not "arvenesis") is a species of subgenus Flavoagaricus section Arvenses. There are several other species of section Arvenses that closely resemble A. arvensis. These species are typically grouped together under the heading "Agaricus arvensis group" and commonly referred to as "Horse Mushrooms." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agaricus So, the question here really is... How does one distinguish "Meadow Mushrooms" (A. campestris group) from "Horse Mushrooms" (A. arvensis group)? There are characters that separate the two groups. But, there are also many other types of Agaricus mushrooms that one may potentially confuse with one or the other of these groups. Some species of Agaricus are toxic. I don't know the situation in England. But, in North America species of Agaricus tend to vary regionally, with generally different ones occurring in western versus eastern NA. So, it's not advisable to oversimplify identification within the complicated genus Agaricus. But, the following criteria generally apply within the two groups discussed here. Agaricus campstris group: Short/stocky mushrooms that grow in open grassy areas; gills have a distinct pink stage; partial veil usually not forming a persistent well-developed annulus, often collapsing onto the stalk or leaving little evidence (fleeting); odor pleasantly mushroomy not medicinal not phenol; cap surface silky white occasionally becoming scaly but not with small dark scales; flesh not staining or bruising (ie. not changing color). Agaricus arvensis group: large thick-stalked mushrooms that most often grow in open/grassy areas where trees are present; gills starting out pale grayish and transitioning to brown without a distinct pink stage (although occasionally briefly pinkish-brown); partial veil thick and forming a persistent annulus that has a "cogwheel" appearance; odor pleasantly almondy not medicinal not phenol; cap surface silky white or with a yellowish sheen, occasionally becoming scaly but not with small dark scales; flesh not staining/bruising. Young Horse Mushrooms often have caps with a "boxy" shape. But, so does the toxic species A. placomyces. The latter is often found in open/grassy areas with or without trees. Some of the toxic species of Agaricus often have a medicinal/phenol odor, but not always. I have no confident ID proposal for the Agaricus mushrooms seen in the photos here. The brown discs seem unusual for the arvensis group, and the rings on the stalks are not as robust as I expect for Horse Mushrooms. For ID purposes it's best to not trim away the base of the stipe. Some traits (like odor) cannot be assessed by viewing photos.
  9. This mushroom is an anomaly, likely produced by an over-abundance of rainfall. As such, it's difficult to propose an ID. But, I *think* maybe one of the rooting species of Oudemansiella (formerly classified under genus names Xerula or Hymenoellis). If correct, the stipe will be deeply rooted in the substrate. Mushrooms representing species of Oudemansiella section Radicatae grow from tree roots that are buried several inches (to occasionally nearly a foot).
  10. Species of Trucholoma. If correct, the spore print will be white. There are several species of brown Trichs... T. fulvum, T. pessundatum, T. imbricatum, to name a few. Most/all of the brown-capped Trichs are bitter-tasting and/or somewhat toxic (producing indigestion and flu-like symptoms).
  11. Agreed, Suillus spraguei. In older North American field guides it is found listed under the European species name Suillus pictus.
  12. Sometimes a hole in a birch tree near where the Chaga canker is seen indicates that someone had previously harvested some. Or, it may be that the tree had previously survived being infected with Inonotus obliquus, recovered, and new bark grew back.
  13. New genus for the "Birch Polypore", Fomitopsis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fomitopsis_betulina . The photos appear to be correctly IDed. The flesh is firm/stiff/dense but not hard/woody like many other polypores.
  14. The bottom few photos show a species of Suillus. I see the remnants of partial veils on the stipes. I'd suggest S. salmonicolor, except S. salmonicoior starts out having a large baglike pv that collapses and shrinks, but these pvs look kinda meager.
  15. These look like they've been in your yard for at least a few days. The dark edges of the caps suggest they are well past prime. This may be due at least partly to extreme weather... cold, hot, dry. The undersides need to be seen in order to make a more confident ID proposal. But, Maybe these are a species of Suillus? What do the undersids look like? Gills? Pores? What type(s) of tree(s) is/are nearby?
  16. I think this is likely one of the varieties of Boletus edulis. The ones found in CA can look a bit different from those I find here in PA. Research mycologist Bryn Dentinger conducted a DNA-based study of the North American porcini and concluded that most of the NA varieties of B edulis are genetically similar enough to each other (and to the European B. edulis) to be considered the same species. Nibble/taste/spit a small piece of cap to confirm this is not a bitter species. This is aa safe practice with boletes.
  17. This looks like Tylopilus felleus to me. If you nibble/taste/spit a tiny piece of the cap (and you possess the ability to taste bitter) then T. felleus should have a bitter taste. Tasting without ingesting is a safe practice with boletes. Just have some water handy in case you taste a really bitter one.
  18. The base of the stipe would offer good information here. Also, the spore print color. It looks like the gills are free (not reaching the stalk); nit quite obvious though.
  19. I will not pretend to confidently ID a mushroom species found in Australia. The fungi are much different there than where I live (eastern USA). If your spore print is jet-black (not showing any purple-brown) then I'd say you are on the right track with these blue-stainers. Take the print on a non-absorbent black surface so that any deviation from black may be seen in contrast to the black surface. They look like Panaeolus to me. I've never run across P. cyanescens.
  20. Suillus species are all presumed edible; in some cases you need to remove the slimy cap cuticle before cooking. Some people are sickened by the the cuticle on some species. Imleria badia is IMO a decent edible. But, with blue-staining boletes you need to be certain of your ID. There are quite a few blue stainers and some can make you sick. I may offer suggestions for IDs, but I generally do not advise to eat mushrooms based upon seeing a few photos. That's your decision.
  21. Another thing to check with Agaricus is whether or not the flesh inside the base of the stipe stains yellow. In eastern NA the bad ones generally exhibit one or more of the following: dark scales on the cap; medicinal/phenol odor; yellow staining of flesh inside the stipe. My understanding is that the situation is more complicated in western NA; they have more toxic Agaricus than I see here in PA... or at least different ones.
  22. "Infundibuliforme" means "funnel-shaped." The mushroom pictured fit this description.
  23. I like Cajun's suggestion. Macrocybe titans is not a species I see up here in PA. But the size and the general appearance match what I know about this southern North American species.
  24. Hericium mushrooms may be used to substitute for crab in a (faux) crabcake recipe.
  25. Paxillus involutus (which is very likely the correct ID here) has been associated with at least one fatality. It contains a toxin that accumulates in the body over time, and when the tipping point is exceeded the result is very bad.
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