More fungi for ID please

[pressld2]

Hi All,

I've spent a very pleasant few hours in my local beech wood over the last couple of days - a beech wood in autumn is a wonderful place! Anyway, quite a few fungi to be seen but as always I'm pretty clueless at identifying them so any help will be much appreciated.

I have tentative IDs for some but the first three have got me completely stumped. They were all growing on the same patch of ground among stinging nettles (ouch!)

1. Caps ranged from 2 to 6 cm...



2. Growing in amongst number 1, this specimen was much smaller with the caps under 1 cm. The most interesting thing about this one for me is the single conjoined cap with two stems. Is this common among fungi?



3. Possible the same species as number 2 although the stem looks very different. The cap on this one was about 4 or 5 cm across...



4. Growing on a beech tree, this one looks to me like Branching Oyster, Pleurotus cornucopiae. I would have put that down as a definite ID except that my book says it grows on "fallen logs or standing dead trunks" but the tree these were on appeared to be alive...



5. This one I've got down as fresh Common Inkcap, Coprinus atramentarius, but it appears to be growing directly on the wood...



6. Possibly a Chanterelle, Cantherellus cibarius?



7. My favourite - such a pretty little thing! The closest I can find is Fairy Inkcap, Coprinus disseminatus, but I don't think that's right. It's the correct size and shape and is growing on dead hardwood but the gill colour is completely wrong. Could it be one of the bonnets?



8. Last one, you'll be glad to hear! I'm pretty sure that this is Scarlet Elfcup, Sarcoscypha austriaca, although these were more pink than scarlet...



I know it's very hard to ID from photos but I'd be very grateful for any suggestions. I also know I should have picked number 3 and photographed the gills - if necessary I can go back tomorrow and do that.

Dave P.

[NickCantle]

Good evening Dave. How do?

1-3 I have no clue.

4 - Pluerotus Ostreatus - Oyster mushroom
5 - Mycena sp?
6 - Lepista flaccida - Tawny funnel
7 - I think you're right with suggesting the bonnets Dave. Mycena arcangelina - Angel's bonnet?
8 - Looks like a young Auricularia auricula-Judae - Jew's ear.

Don't quote me on those, but I did my best

Nick

P.S - An excellent set of photographs there Dave. A very autumnal feeling about them. Love them, great work

[Leif]

I pretty much agree with Nick.

1. Not sure, but I suspect a Clitocybe, maybe C. vibecina. Small Clitocybe are not my strong point.
2. Not sure, but possibly as 3.
3. Collybia butyracea.
4. Either Pleurotus ostreatus or Panellus serotinus. I cannot see the stems, but I am fairly sure that Nick is right. Panellus serotinus does not usually grow in such large groups though it can look very similar. Examination of the stem would settle the matter.
5. Mycena species. I suspect you have two species here. The first photo has aspects of M. haematopus, especially the reddish stems, and the cap margin. The second and third photos are consistent with M. inclinata.
6. L. flaccida.
7. Mycena, probably M. galericulata.
8. Jew's Ear.

[Fungus Ken]

I'd just add that there are 2 species in set 1. If you look at the third photo in this set, the gills are notched near the stem, whereas on the first photo the gills are adnate to subdecurrent.

The first 2 photos in set 1 show, as Leif has said, a small Clitocybe but these are difficult to identify without knowing if they had a smell. Clitocybe vibecina has a distinctive smell, hence the common name Mealy Funnel. It could also be Clitocybe metachroa which has no particular smell.

The third photo in set 1 is likely to be a Collybia, possibly a faded Collybia butyracea.

So it pays to look closely at what you are photographing to see if there is more of interest than you first thought.

Number 2 I can't place at all but the stem is not right for Collybia butyracea.

Ken

[pressld2]

Many thanks for all your help everyone.

I went back again today to get a photo of the gills of number 3 (and to get stung some more by the nettles - it's still stinging now, eight hours later ) and here it is...



Although you didn't need it - Collybia butyracea it is.

And Ken, I'm sure you're right about the third photo of number 1 too. I was very unsure at the time about whether I was photographing two or three different species as the cap colours ranged from cream to brown in so many different ways. Now that you've all pointed me in the right direction I reckon these are all Collybia butyracea...



Don't know if this will help with number 2. Judging by the stems I'd say it's the same species at a later stage...

Originally Posted by Fungus Ken

The first 2 photos in set 1 show, as Leif has said, a small Clitocybe but these are difficult to identify without knowing if they had a smell. Clitocybe vibecina has a distinctive smell, hence the common name Mealy Funnel. It could also be Clitocybe metachroa which has no particular smell.

I didn't notice any smell but wasn't particularly sniffing for one. If time and weather permit I'll go and get stung again tomorrow!

It could be worth it. Just as I was packing up to leave today I spotted this little beauty that I'd overlooked on previous visits...



I reckon this has got to be Amethyst Deceiver, Laccaria amethystina. Can't be anything else can it? So how come the only mushroom I've seen this month that isn't trying it's best to look like several other species gets called a "deceiver"?

Originally Posted by NickCantle

P.S - An excellent set of photographs there Dave. A very autumnal feeling about them. Love them, great work

Thanks Nick. I was very fortunate with the quality of light but your kind words are very much appreciated.

Best regards,

Dave P.

[NickCantle]

Hiya Dave

I'd have to agree with you on all of them being Collybia butyracea. I've seen many of these in different stages of growth and they tend to vary lots.

Don't know if this will help with number 2. Judging by the stems I'd say it's the same species at a later stage...

These are early specimens Dave...I monitored some that I had unidentified previously...The following pictures (poorly) show development as the specimen matures...

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ga...dentified2.jpg



Hope this helps Dave.

Nick

[Fungus Ken]

It's not just the stem that was puzzling me about number 2. If you look at the ratio of the width of the cap to the length and width of the stem you will note that the cap is unusually small (in proportion) for Collybia butyracea, if indeed that is what it is. Even on young specimens of the Butter Cap the cap is usually wider in diameter than this relative to the stem.

It is not typical, to say the least, and speaking from experience it is by looking out for differences like this that you begin to notice species that you may have been overlooking in the past.

Ken

[Leif]

For what it's worth I also have doubts about the original number 2, and from the more recent pictures I do not think it is a C. butyracea. That said, I really do not have a clue what it might be.

I suspect the original third photo is a short stemmed C. butyracea but I am not sure.

[pressld2]

Hi,

I did manage to pop back briefly this afternoon and even avoided getting stung this time. The clitocybe is pretty much odourless - maybe just a faint hint of something but it was drowned out by the smell of wet leaves.

Dave P.