Volvariella speciosa?

[leek]

Found lots of these today and last week on the south downs near Eastbourne.

anyone have any ideas what they are - they were a similar shape to something i found previously - which was identified by Fungus Ken as a Volvariella speciosa - anyone have any other ideas?








LEEK

[Leif]

Originally Posted by leek

Found lots of these today and last week on the south downs near Eastbourne.

anyone have any ideas what they are - they were a similar shape to something i found previously - which was identified by Fungus Ken as a Volvariella speciosa - anyone have any other ideas?

I think you have the same thing. The cap texture and other features are right.

[leek]

Ah - I thought these were a differnt species to my other post.

According to Roger's Mushrooms these are edible. There were lots of them - Maybe I should have harvested a few for tonights supper.

LEEK

[Leif]

Originally Posted by leek

Ah - I thought these were a differnt species to my other post.

According to Roger's Mushrooms these are edible. There were lots of them - Maybe I should have harvested a few for tonights supper.

LEEK

I would rather you did not base a meal on an id by a stranger! I would hate for you to die, and then come back and haunt me. Even if I could then make a penny or two from tourists coming to hear you rattle your chains.

And do bear in mind that species with volvas should be considered with considerable suspicion for obvious reasons.

[Fungus Ken]

Originally Posted by leek

Ah - I thought these were a differnt species to my other post.

LEEK

This is why you have to be very careful when identifying mushrooms, particularly if you are planning to eat them. They can look very different at different stages. Here are a few thoughts on how to recognise species in the genus Volvariella and distinguish them from Amanita.

Volvariella has a volva at the base of the stem, as does Amanita. The gill attachment is also often helpful but not so much in this case - Volvariella has gills that are distinctly free from the stem while Amanita usually has gills that are finely adnexed (ie just touching at the top of the stem) to somewhat free, so there is an overlap in this character. Volvariella does not have a partial veil (between edge of cap and stem), only the universal veil, so it does not have a ring. Some species of Amanita have a ring, others don't.

The most important way of separating these two genera is the spore colour. In Amanita the spores are white, in Volvariella they are pink. But in young specimens the distinction will not always be clear in the field. The gills will gradually turn pink in Volvariella as the spores ripen but young specimens may have pale gills. So taking a spore print is the most reliable way of separating these two genera.

Pluteus and Volvariella can be confused if you miss the volva. Both have pinkish spores and gills that are free from the stem, so you need to make sure you get the base of the stem to check for the presence or absence of a volva.

Ken

[leek]

Thanks Ken

Thats all good advice - Beleive me - I am very careful about what I eat and would make sure I have done a throrough ID before eating anything from the wild.

And Lief - I don't hold grudges - I just move on - so I wouldn't be haunting anyone. I am well aware that my actions are my own.

Lee