Soft and feathery Fungi ID.

juliejam · #1 (**permalink**) 31-08-2007, 02:43 PM

This one felt very soft with a feathery look about it ...as you can see it has quite a few colours on the cap which was about 4cms across.

Help with the ID would be appreciated..

Many thanx.

Fungus Ken · #2 (**permalink**) 31-08-2007, 05:52 PM

This is Lacrymaria lacrymabunda (= Lacrymaria velutina)), Weeping Widow. It gets its name from the thread like veil that hangs, in the young "fruitbody", between the edge of the cap and the stem (the threads turn black as they catch the black spores) and the tendency for droplets to form along the edge of the gills when the mushroom is fresh and moist.

You can see the remains of the veil hanging from the edge of the cap and in the form of the black ring zone around the stem, which is black from the spores.

The dark purplish-black mottled gills are very characteristic.

Ken