Unidentified mushroom with a VERY potent odour

[NickCantle]

Hello

This is the first of a few threads for ID purposes tonight. This one I think, might be something quite interesting- I've certainly never come across it before. Down to details;

Found growing in a troop of three in 6 inch grass on wet soil. Oak, Scots Pine and Sitka Spruce relatively close by.

The stem was roughly 40mm and cap diameter dead on 20mm. This had a very very strong odour of fish or fish oil about it, seemingly more potent in the stipe. None of the three were intact, but I took the best specimen in best condition. They had very umbonate caps.

Microscopically, there's not much to report. I think I saw a bottle shaped cheilocystidia, but the gills are elliptical and seem to have an oil drop- so I'm thinking they're not mature?

Anyone the wiser?







All help and suggestions appreciated,

Nick

[wildherbalian85]

I.d take a stab at a guess and say it was some kind of Inocybe, Prehaps Inocybe aeruginascens or Inocybe calamistrata, though the first doesn't realy have a fish smell unless it's rotting... those stemsin your picture look like they may have started to decay??

[NickCantle]

I've had it since yesterday, so yes they've started to go over. Yesterday when I picked them, they were alright- and more potent. I was thinking Inocybe with that umbo, but it's a tough one really- shouldn't be because of that distinctive smell.

Cheers Ian,

Nick

[village wench]

Hygrocybe laeta ?

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by NickCantle

I've had it since yesterday, so yes they've started to go over. Yesterday when I picked them, they were alright- and more potent. I was thinking Inocybe with that umbo, but it's a tough one really- shouldn't be because of that distinctive smell.

Cheers Ian,

Nick

Im sure somebody will be around soon enough to shed a little light on the mystery

[NickCantle]

Originally Posted by village wench

Hygrocybe laeta ?

Some features match but this would be discounted due to the smell.

Nick

[village wench]

Sorry,as I found quite a few references to it smelling seriously fishy I just had a guess..........maybe time to get some more books in.

[RobSutton]

Nick I posted this on my ID thread earlier:

Two fungi for ID assistance

Funnily enough I was reading about one that smelt strongly of fish when I was looking up an Inocybe yesterday - it was Inocybe bongardii var pisciodora. You never know?

[NickCantle]

Cheers for that Rob, I thought I'd replied, perhaps not. I looked at that Inocybe, but couldn't find any decent info on it. Patch information generally leads to more confusion. Where did you find that Inocybe? I bet FOS

Cheers,

Nick

[RobSutton]

It was in FOS I'm afraid - a quick summary

Cap 20-40mm, hemispherical when young, later conical to convex with an obtuse umbo, surface dull, finely fibrillose-scaly, light ochre to ocher-brown. Margin acute sometimes split when old.

Flesh whitish, turning faintly pink when cut, thin, odor penetratingly fishy, taste mild, unpleasant.

Lamellae whitish to beige when young, later dingy light brown, 30-48 complete lamellae, 3 intermediates, notched and narrowly attached to almost free, edges white-floccose

Stipe 35-70mm x 4-8mm cylindrical, rigid, firm, solid, surface whitish when young, later light reddish-brown, white-floccose at the apex

Spores elliptical to slightly amygdaliforme, smooth, brown-yellow thick-walled, with a large drop, 12.3-15.2microns x 6.4-8microns

Cheiliocystidia clavate 30-75microns x 9-13microns, with 4 sterigamta and a basal clamp

Habitat Solitary to gregarious in hardwood and coniferous forests, on calcareous to acid soils. Summer-fall