Could this be a cavalier of some sort?

[leek]

Hi

Found this mushroom on a grassy knoll in Eastbourne on 7th November.



The closest match i could find anywhere was a Common Cavalier but am not sure - can anyone help.?

leek

[Fungus Ken]

The genus Melanoleuca - the Cavaliers - have white spores and gills that are notched near where they attach to the stem. This gill shape is sometimes described as emarginate.

Pluteus has spores that are usually pinkish (sometimes pinkish-brown) and the gills are free from the stem. The gills turn a pinkish brown colour as the spores ripen.

It's always difficult to be sure from a photo, but I don't think your specimen has white spores, and it doesn't look like a Melanoleuca.

It could be a Pluteus, in which case Pluteus cervinus would be the most likely candidate, although the swollen base of the stem is a little unusual.

There is also Volvariella which has spores and gills similar to Pluteus but has a volval sac at the base of the stem. However, there doesn't seem to be any sign of a volva at the base of the stem of this specimen.

Ken

[leek]

Thanks for that Fungus Ken

I have looked up the suggestions you have made and both seem to be a possiblility - so without having done a spore print (and I no longer have this specimen) i guess i have to just look out for others nearby for further investigation.

I found an image of Volvariella gloiocephala on google that looked very similar - but then i also found lots of images on google of Volvariella that looked nothing like my find.

many thanks