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A Blue/Green/Purple/Gray... Corinarius?


Sunny_0ne

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They look like Cortinarius specimens, but it's hard to make out any sign of the spore-colored cortina remnants on the stem that usually provide instant identification of a Cortinarius.

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I am not familiar with the species Cortinarius caerulescens. But the photos do not remind me of any Cortinarius species. If not for the brown spore print, I would guess these are some sort of Lactarius. It looks like the stems have been broken off near the cap, as opposed to having been cut with a knife. The flesh inside the cut stalk does not look like Cortinarius to me. But, there are many species of Cortinarius, and these species are divided into several groupings... subspecies, sections. So maybe this is simply something that I haven't ever seen. As has been pointed out, there appears to be no sign of a cortina on any of these... stringy/webby deposit on the stalk.

Sunny, could you describe the shade of brown for the spore print? Most Corts have rusty-brown print. But I do know about one type of Cort, C. variecolor (a name which probably represents a group of related species) for which the print may be dull brown. I would not expect any Corts to have light brown or tannish prints.

I doubt these are Stropharia. Stropharia have very dark spore prints... dark purple brown to blackish.

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Dave, I'm convinced they are not a cortinarius, too.

I just went outside and tried to find some more so I could do a better job of examining them, but there are none to be found.

I didn't get a good spore print. I got just a smudge of brown. I can't remember now exactly what color it was, but I think it was a medium dark brown -- darker than rusty brown, but not chocolate brown.

Also, the stalks are not broken off. I cut them off with a knife and they were firm and not brittle.

I think I am going to have to wait until I find more of them and get a good spore print before we can really attempt a good ID.

I did use the mykoweb software and came up with nothing on it.

So thanks so much for trying to help, but I don't think I gave you enough to go on this time! :)

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Thanks, Daniel. I checked out Lepista saeva. It said they were choice edibles. However, they have a pink spore print and mine didn't.

I'm hoping a few more emerge so I can do a much better job of examining them.

BTW, I am glad you are here. I wish there was more activity, but it's really quiet here now. :)

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Daniel, looks like three species: 1. possibly Armillaria, 2. a bolete which I believe represents a species of Tylopilus, and 3. possibly Lepistas. Not sure about using the name L. saeva. This type shows purple on the stalk with generally pale to tannish cap color.

But Lepistas can be a bit tricky. It's easy to confuse them with a variety of Cortinarius species. Also, it's possible to mistake some Entolomas (mostly toxic) for Lepistas. And some Clitocybes or Tricholomas may be mistaken for Lepistas. A long time ago I misidentified Cliocybe robusta for Lepista irina. Luckily, the only thing I endured was to toss out an otherwise tasty chicken stir-fry. A real close look-alike for Lepista nuda (the Blewit) is Clitocybe tarda.

http://mushroomobserver.org/149951?q=1bB9x

C. tarda is generally smaller and slimmer than L. nuda. As far as I know, C. tarda is not toxic. I have eaten a small amount with no negative results.

Sunny's mushrooms do look like Lepistas, although the gills appear to be broadly attached, as opposed to the more common "notched" attachment for Lepistas. However, examples of Lepistas with broadly attached gills are possible, especially for specimens which have grown to the point where the stem has pulled down the attachment so that the notch is difficult to notice. Older Blewits often show sub-decurrent gills for this reason. Spore print for Lepistas is pale, generally a fleshy shade of pink, but not ever dark enough to call brown. This is why I had not originally mentioned Lepista as a possibility.

Lepistas are all reported to be edible, but some individuals may be sensitive to at least some of these types.

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