Growing on woodchip

[flaxton]

Hi folks
Has anyone any thoughts on this group growing on woodchip in May of 2006.





Thanks

Mal

[Morchella]

Only one way to get better at this, so thought I'd have a go at guessing the genus - Tricholoma - because the cut ones look v similar to the pics I can find. First thought the colouring looked a bit like a Clitocybe but the gills aren't decurrent and the rim didn't seem rolled down enough. Also thought about Lactarius, but thought Flaxton would have mentioned any milk(?)

Will look forward to seeing if I am anywhere near

[Ians-pix]

No expert here - but the texture /colour of the cap and gill colour remind me of Hebeloma crustuliniforme - Poison pie.
If so - I recall they have a radishy smell.

Will await the expert opinions!
Ian

[Fungus Ken]

I am really struggling here without spore colour.

I can rule out Tricholoma because the gills are not notched and there are no British species that look similar. The gill colour is not right either.

Hebeloma is an interesting thought, based on the overall colours. As with Tricholoma, the species are mycorrhizal and so would not be associated with wood chips. However, the fungus itself might actually be growing in association with tree roots rather than feeding on the wood chips. There is no way to tell from the photo. Were there trees around, and if so what sort?

I have looked through Fungi of Northern Europe Volume 3, The Genus Hebeloma but I can't see anything that looks similar.

The only other thought that occurs to me is Lepista, based on the short stem and overall appearance. But then again, it doesn't fit any species I can think of, off the top of my head.

Entoloma was another thought, but again these are mycorrhizal and the gills don't give any indication of a pink spore colour.

I'm stumped.

Ken

[Fungus Ken]

Mykonik to the rescue.

Now that he has put the name Melanoleuca cognata to it, it seems fairly obvious from the overall colour and jizz.

Ken

[flaxton]

Thanks for the id Mykonik.
The only worrying thing is I have recorded cognata from the same site the previous year and didn't register when I came across this specimen. Oh to have a memory

Mal

[mykonik]

Sorry, what memory, who's Mykonik and why are there all these fungi photo's here ?? - No seriously, it's worth noting that there is a 'variant' of this rather common taxon, called M. cognata var. nauseosa which is apparently British (well, it's in the Checklist !!) but there are no reliable specimens in Kew Herbarium as far as I can remember - it looks identical to the species but smells like 'vomit' (lovely !!)

[flaxton]

Thanks for that Nick if it turns up this year I will give it a tentative sniff.

Mal

[flaxton]

It has turned up and fortunately (unfortunately) it has almost no aroma.

Mal