Mushrooms from Long Island...

[BaconRaygun]

Got out there this weekend to look for hens only to discover somebody else had gotten to them before I did. Bummer. I did however find a few other interesting specimens.

I believe these are honey mushrooms (Armillaria mellea), not a mushroom that I have any experience with, but they sure fit the bill. They were growing in clusters at the base of a large oak. Sporeprint is white.

#1

Found these the next day in a different location, growing at the base of a pine. These look slightly different, the fuzz on the cap is more pronounced and the color darker. I didnt take any of these home as they seemed older and had plenty of bugs in them.

#2

Lastly, these were all over under pine. Cinnamon/brownish color, latex was white, watery, not plentiful like the L. hygrophoroides that I was finding earlier int he season. Cap is matte, not fuzzy like L. hygrophoroides. You cant even see the latex in the photos, but it was there. White and watery. Sporeprint is white to cream. There is an odor, but I really cant put my finger on it. Somewhat fragrant, but my sense of smell is not one of my better senses.

Are these L. camphoratus or L. fragilis?

#3

[Dave W]

I agree about the Honey Mushroom ID. I always parboil mine before preparing/freezing. Some people are allergic, so if you'd like to try them prepare a small amount to try.

Small brownish Milkies appear to match well with L. camphoratus/fragilis. Accounts I have just read do not mention the hollow stem like what is seen here, and I don't recall whether my own collections of L. camphoratus have hollow stems. Amount and whiteness of latex varies with these types.

[Dave W]

Another possibility to consider for the brownish Lactarius... L. quietus var. incanus. Found in oak woods.

[BaconRaygun]

Thanks Dave. I'm drying both sets of specimens, the honeys I will save for another time. I cant seem to put my finger on precisely what the Lactarius specimens are. I looked into L. quietus var. incanus, but they have those concentric rings, and these were not found growing under oak... these were not in the same area that I found the good batch of honeys, this was a new spot that had a lot of pine, fur and maple. Adjacent areas had large patches of chestnut oak and white oak, but these were found in an area that only had pine and fur.

A few people suggested drying them to see if they give off a sweet and/or curry like smell... but in the mean time I will continue doing research.