Possible ID - Entoloma griseocyaneum

[RobSutton]

I've just done something stupid, brave or ambitious or possibly all three. I've had a go at identifying this Entoloma:


.. and surprised myself by following the key in FoS and coming up with an answer of Entoloma griseocyaneum.

The spores seem to fit the general size and shape quoted (though I wasn't sure precisely which angle to measure across):


There were no cheilocystidia but the gill edge was fertile with lots of clearly 4 spored basidia with no clamps:


Gills were pink with no dark edge, caps to c40mm and it was growing in calcareous grassland.

Any thoughts, ideas or probably alternative suggestions?

Thanks as always.

[mollisia]

Hello Rob,

surely correct, avery characteristic species and your fotos are typical. If one sees that one several times one can determine it macroscopically, which is a rare case in Entoloma.

best regards,
Andreas

[FungiJohn]

I'd agree with your ID of Entoloma griseocyaneum Rob. A job well done!
John

[SheffieldLass]

Originally Posted by RobSutton

I've just done something stupid, brave or ambitious or possibly all three. I've had a go at identifying this Entoloma:

Well you clearly made a wise choice in the selection of Entoloma to attempt an id .... Well done (she says with envy .... )

[RobSutton]

Many thanks Andreas and John.

Originally Posted by SheffieldLass

Well you clearly made a wise choice in the selection of Entoloma to attempt an id .... Well done (she says with envy .... )

Beginners luck I think, I'm not sure I'll be making a habit of it. Having looked further on in the FoS key to Entolomas there seem to be a number of difficult steps. I was particularly taken with couplet 41

41 Species with striking features .............

41* Species without striking features .........

Not sure how I'd cope with that one

[mollisia]

Hello,

and there are only 100 oder so included, of the 450 species ....

best regards,
Andreas

[RobSutton]

Originally Posted by mollisia

Hello,

and there are only 100 oder so included, of the 450 species ....

best regards,
Andreas

Thats far too many - perhaps I'll try a nice easy group like the Russulas instead I had a quick look at four Russula species I'd found growing in Sphagnum and other mosses under Betula pubescens and found the details in the various keys far too subjective so maybe not.

[mollisia]

Originally Posted by RobSutton

Thats far too many - perhaps I'll try a nice easy group like the Russulas instead I had a quick look at four Russula species I'd found growing in Sphagnum and other mosses under Betula pubescens and found the details in the various keys far too subjective so maybe not.

Hello,

let me guess:
Russula emetica var. betularum, R. sphagnophila, R. claroflava and may be one of the new scandinavian ones?

best regards,
Andreas

[RobSutton]

Originally Posted by mollisia

Hello,

let me guess:
Russula emetica var. betularum, R. sphagnophila, R. claroflava and may be one of the new scandinavian ones?

best regards,
Andreas

Well since you asked:

Russula emetica var. betularum (almost certain - taste very acrid peeling completely)


Russula claroflava (probably - maggot burrows stained black inside cap)


and the last two I didn't really get anything I was convinced about:

1: cream spores, peeling half to two thirds, taste mild


2: cream spores, peeling almost all way across and taste mild (I wasn't even sure this was different to no.1 but the gills were slightly darker and the centre of the cap darker too)



Your wise words would be much appreciated.

[mollisia]

Hello,

Russula no. 3 and 4 are Russula nitida and/or R. sphagnophila. The differences between the two are not very big. R. sphagnophila has a little bit lighter sporeprint colour and the cap is predominantly greenish-olivaceous with some red-violett. The stipe is always white. R. nitidia is slightly darker in sporeprint, the cap is predominantly red-violett but sometimes with some green or olive in the center. The stipe often has a red hue. R. sphangnophila is growing exclusively in Sphagnum, R. nitida prefers the somewhat dryer sites. But all these characters seem to overlap a little bit. We had rich collections of R. sphagnophila last week and found e.g. the spore print colour varying from IIc to IIIa.
R. sphagnophila has recieved a new name, Russula roberti, because the european material is not identical with the original R. sphagnophila from America.

best regards,
Andreas