Jeremy G Posted November 19, 2020 Report Share Posted November 19, 2020 Hi Folks, This guy is growing with multiples next to an old Big Leaf Maple stump. In the process of getting a spore sample. Will post if I can get a good one. Smell is a nice earthy mushroom character. thoughts? -J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vitog Posted November 20, 2020 Report Share Posted November 20, 2020 They look like Pluteus cervinus (Deer/Fawn Mushroom) to me, but the name may have changed recently. If it is, the gills should turn pink with age; and the spore print should be pinkish. These are common in the Pacific Northwest in the fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy G Posted November 20, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2020 So here is a print after several hours. Its not really a pinkish tone....more dark creme to me with a hint of pink is what I'm seeing in the sample. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted November 20, 2020 Report Share Posted November 20, 2020 A key feature in IDing a mushroom to genus Pluteus is to observer whether the gills are attached to or free of the stalk. To this end it's best to photograph the underside of the cap with the stalk still attached to the cap. These mushrooms look like Pluteus to me, although as mentioned the print is kinda pale (at least for the types lumped into the P. cervinis complex). On the other hand, the print may be too thin to get a good read on the color. Maybe try to get a thicker print on a non-absorbent white surface? Or, perhaps these mushrooms represent a species of Pluteus other than P. cervinus? I'd feel better about providing an opinion if the gill attachment/unattachment was observable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy G Posted November 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2020 Hi Dave. Sorry I didn't include that picture. Here is a picture with the stem attached. This is a sample of another mushroom that was part of the same group just a couple inches away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted November 21, 2020 Report Share Posted November 21, 2020 It's a Pluteus mushroom. Notice how the gills terminate in rounded edges that come up short of the stalk. There's a thin/smooth annular area on the cap underside comprising the separation between the gills and stalk. Looks like a species housed in section Pluteus of genus Pluteus, which is where the P. cervinus types are placed. Are these technically examples of P. cervinus? I think microscopy would be required to gain confidence one way or another. But, aside from the somewhat pale appearance of the spore print, these fit the general description of P. cervinus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy G Posted November 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2020 Thanks Dave. The gills also (in the younger specimens) appear to be white, but when picked and handled, they turn pinkish-brown pretty quick...which appears to be another telltale sign of the P. cervinus, no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted November 21, 2020 Report Share Posted November 21, 2020 Most species of Pluteus start out with gills white/whitish. As the pink spores mature, the gills darken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy G Posted October 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2021 Hi Folks, Resurrecting this thread from a while back. Another fall comes upon us and there are more Deer mushrooms / Pluteus that are popping up all over the place. The big question is now is on edibility. I see stuff online all over the place from being ok if you caramelize to others saying it takes like radishes no matter what. Any opinions or cooking strategies you've found to make this good table fare? -J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted October 12, 2021 Report Share Posted October 12, 2021 I am not impressed with the edible qualities of Pluteus cervinus. Really young ones are better than old ones, but the young ones have white gills and the lack of attachment (gills being free of the stalk) can be difficult to assess when the cap is unexpanded. Pleuteus petasatus is a somewhat scaly whitish-capped species that IMO is a better edible than P. cervinus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy G Posted October 14, 2021 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2021 Well, I'll have to give them a shot to see if they are compatible with my palate. If not I can give them to my neighbors 😆 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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