Weekend specimens for ID please

[Bill S]

Hi all

Here are a few pictures from my weekend, as ever, I'd be most grateful if anyone can spare the time to help ID my unknowns and correct any shaky IDs I have made.

First off, in my front lawn, a lovely troop of Coprinus atramentaria, Common Inkcap. These have been up for a few days before we had rain Sunday night and through the day today. I shall try and get another picture as they open up.



Next was a specimen which I took to be Clitopilus prunulus, The Miller. Having looked at a few books I think it is too low to the ground to be this species but other features did bear out this tentative ID. However, I've had a couple of caps under glass since Sunday midday and still no spore print (can they be too dry to produce a spore print?)



This is what they looked like underneath.



These were some nicely presented specimens which I thought were Sulphur Tufts but I'd be grateful if anyone could confirm based on the limited data from the picture?



We saw a couple of these specimens where a quite open section of heathland met a quite dense section of woodland. As you can see from the leaf litter, they were more on the woodland than on the heathland so I was left wondering what they might be.



And finally these, which were in great abundance around tree stumps in the local woods, sorry for the mobile phone image quality...



As ever, many thanks for any help with my IDs.

Cheers

Bill

[KeenTeen17]

From what I have learned at Clumber ....

Number 5 is an Armillaria (maybe A. mellea)

The Hypholoma is most likely Sulphur Tuft but the way to ID is the gills and the taste.

[FungiJus]

Originally Posted by KeenTeen17

The Hypholoma is most likely Sulphur Tuft but the way to ID is the gills and the taste.

Don't forget to spit it out though Bill .

[thebeard]

Originally Posted by KeenTeen17

The Hypholoma is most likely Sulphur Tuft but the way to ID is the gills and the taste.

what are these identifying features, i see loads which i think may be sulphur tuft but any extra info would help!

[cybershot]

Originally Posted by thebeard

what are these identifying features, i see loads which i think may be sulphur tuft but any extra info would help!

Can only repeat a recent previous post of mine:

"Back on the subject of the various species of Hypholoma, I am convinced that there are times when we dismiss that 'easily recognizable' clump as just another find of the uniform coloured, ubiquitous Sulphur Tuft - Hypholoma fasciculare, when closer inspection, especially throughout August - December, may reveal either Conifer Tuft - Hypholoma capnoides or Brick Tuft - Hypholoma lateritium. Both have slightly more reddish caps and relative distinct habitats of conifer stumps for H. capnoides, and deciduous logs and stumps for H. lateritium. Also the former has bluish grey gills darkening to purplish brown, whereas the latters are yellow then greyish to reddish brown; compared to those of the much more common Sulphur Tuft, growing on both coniferous and deciduous trees, which has young greenish gills which become dark purplish brown with maturity. The similarly coloured stems of Conifer Tuft are silky smooth, but those of the other two may show traces of a darker ring zone towards the top.

I wouldn't advocate testing the edibility of Conifer Tuft because of its similarities with the other two bitter tasting inedible species."


David

[thelawnet]

Originally Posted by cybershot

I wouldn't advocate testing the edibility of Conifer Tuft because of its similarities with the other two bitter tasting inedible species."

or indeed galerina marginata

[Bill S]

Thanks to all for the useful comments. Further to this, I wet the specimen I suspected of being the Miller and it has produced a pinky spore print. Is it normal for pink spore prints to be more obviously pink with a black background compared to a white one? I'll get some of the spores under the microscope for confirmation of size and features.

Many thanks

Bill

[hamadryad]

obviously i know its a photograph and any id is inaccurate but the first image in the sequence is as someone pointed out A.mellea, the less aggressive and pathogenic of the armillarias.

There's been quite a few photos of this ubiquitous woodland recycler and general garbage disposer, reaper of the sick and weak on here lately.

Im told it is not a very successful spore spreader and gets about much better by its rhizomorphic habits, anyone care to divulge any further on that?

[fairplay]

Welcome back Tony ! Thought we've lost ya.

My understanding is that A.mellea is the one you definitely do not want, and that it is the others which are less aggressive.

You are right that it spreads mainly by rhy.. hang on, just gotta check the spelling.... rhizomorphs, and not so much spores, but my view is that a new plant need not be in contact with 'contaminated soil' for very long before it too can succumb to the infection.

Neil.

[SheffieldLass]

Originally Posted by cybershot

Can only repeat a recent previous post of mine:

"Back on the subject of the various species of Hypholoma, I am convinced that there are times when we dismiss that 'easily recognizable' clump as just another find of the uniform coloured, ubiquitous Sulphur Tuft - Hypholoma fasciculare, when closer inspection, especially throughout August - December, may reveal either Conifer Tuft - Hypholoma capnoides or Brick Tuft - Hypholoma lateritium. Both have slightly more reddish caps and relative distinct habitats of conifer stumps for H. capnoides, and deciduous logs and stumps for H. lateritium. Also the former has bluish grey gills darkening to purplish brown, whereas the latters are yellow then greyish to reddish brown; compared to those of the much more common Sulphur Tuft, growing on both coniferous and deciduous trees, which has young greenish gills which become dark purplish brown with maturity. The similarly coloured stems of Conifer Tuft are silky smooth, but those of the other two may show traces of a darker ring zone towards the top.

David

On my patch in an area of spruce plantation I get both H capnoides and H fasciculare in the same location just a few feet apart. H capnoides has been more winter to early spring fruiting and only associated with coniferous stumps, and H fasciculare has appeared this summer to autumn and associated with fallen/buried wood, some on the brash from the tree that was once attached to the stump which has the H capnoides. I've not yet had them fruiting at the same time there. But maybe in a few weeks time they will overlap and it will be interesting to compare.

H fasciculare does have a long fruiting season, but I'm wondering if H fasciculare and H capnoides do have slightly different fruiting seasons. Anyone noticed this too?

Melanie