bobby b Posted August 16, 2022 Report Share Posted August 16, 2022 Found this at Ohiopile PA on the Ferncliff peninsula. It had rained the night before. A heavy medium brown spore print. I didn't notice any odor but the taste was mild with a watermelon finish which usually leads me to Agrocybe, also the ornamented spores don't seem right for that. I mounted the spores in koh and in melzers with the same coloration. The spores averaged 10.58 x 7.44µ Q=1.42 . The prominent snout, Is that a pore or an apiculus? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted August 18, 2022 Report Share Posted August 18, 2022 The spores look like Hebeloma, except with smaller Q than I'm used to seeing (although some of the spores seen may not be aligned favorably for bserving length). The mushroom also looks like a Hebeloma. I have an account with Henry Beker's Hebeloma website. I searched for species found in PA, OH, or WV. The list includes two species that feature a cortina (partial veil), H. excedens and H. mesophaeum. Neither of these species has spores that are as strongly ornamented as what appears to be the case here. However, the blistered appearance may be due to loosening perispores; that is, a covering over the spore. The website says that the loosening perispore is clearly seen in Melzer's reagent. But, each of H. excedens and H. mesophaeum is listed as not having a loosening perispore. What type(s) of tree(s) are near where this was found? The only other type of mushroom with this appearance that comes immediately to my mind are the smooth-capped terrestrial species of Pholiota, like P. lenta. But, the spores seen here are much different than any Pholiota spores I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobby b Posted August 18, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2022 This was in an area dominated by hardwoods but I think the were a couple hemlock. Concerning the Q I didn't measure those that were on end which are circular but a few times I measured the length including the snout. Is that a pore or an apiculus? Again the spores look the same whether in koh or melzers. I added a few more photos from a koh smash mount with a few (?) immature spores. I think I may be able to have the DNA analyzed later this year. Thanks Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted August 18, 2022 Report Share Posted August 18, 2022 If you have the preserved material, then I think Henry Beker may still be accepting submissions. Not sure about those "snouts", although one variable feature associated with Hebeloma spores is the presence/absence of a "papilla". So, I think this is what is seen here. If these spores were found via a smash-mount then perhaps the blistered appearance is due to the presence of perispores. I don't know much about this trait. Do you have an account with Mushroom Observer? If so, then you should use this stuff to create an observation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobby b Posted August 18, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2022 I put it on Mushroom Observer & Inaturalist earlier today. The photos were from spore prints, both koh and melzers, & a smash mounts in koh which showed a few nearly smooth spores and ornamented spores. If Beker is still accepting submissions I would submit it. I have dried the entire mushroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted August 25, 2022 Report Share Posted August 25, 2022 As I have suggested on MO, this may be a Cortinarius (or one of the recently erected split-off species within what is now called family Cortinariaceae). The spores look right for this suggestion. But, the very dark deposit on the annulus seems wrong for a Cort. The other suggestion posted on MO --Stropharia-- follows from what seems like very dark spores. But, I don't know a Stropharia species that has distinctly ornamented spores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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