wood oysterling variants?

[diggleken]

Hi all,
I'm after some help with a Melanotus horizontalis type fungus - some of you may remember I found this last year, ID'd via Kew, quite thrilling!
I have now found something extremely similar, will post some pics later on when I can.
It is the same except for the cap - is not light brown and felty, but darker brown quite shiny and striated.
It was in a very, very rotten Beech stump, would have ben missed but was kicked over and crumbled to reveal them.
Does anyone know if there is a shiny variant on the felty cap of wood oysterling and if so what its called?
I have rooted through bioimages and the cap pics there are a bit in between felty and shiny, but certainly not like these, nor any striations showing.
I am leaning towards differing wetness affecting the cap, and that they are M. Horizontalis, but cant be sure.
Any ideas out there?
I have samples if needed again Chris.................
Cheers
Ken

[diggleken]

Hi all,
this is the one id'd by Kew :

And these are the ones from today:

Cheers for any input
Ken

[fairplay]

Hi Ken,

I feel what you have this time is one of the many small Galerina species which would really need to go under the 'scope or your foot to sort out.

Neil.

[diggleken]

Thanks Neil,
ha ha, they very nearly did go under the feet of some kids on the walk we were doing!
You could well be right, I got excited by the similarity to the oysterlings, so will have a bit of research at Galerina spp, although Jordan doesnt seem to have anything close, so will try other approaches now, thanks for steer.
Cheers
Ken

[diggleken]

After further research..................... how about micromphale foetidum (if thats still its name!) - lovingly referred to in one book as foetid mummy-cap!
Any thoughts?
Cheers
Ken

[mollisia]

Hello Ken,

Neil is right, this is a Galerina. Microphale foetidum has different colours, especially in cap and gills. And you need not compare to fotos, Galerina ist usually only determinable by microscope and so are yours. They are quite interesting with their little umbo and surely can be determined.

best regards,
Andreas

[diggleken]

Hi Andreas,
hope you are well!
Thanks for that both of you, will get some samples next week and try some spore views, when I hopefully have my microscope to use, or at least an illuminated portable microscope I have found for use - does up to 30x, so not great but might help with an indication whilst my proper one comes the week after............
Interestingly, found some similar to these today, which might be the O. foetidum that confused me, growing on an old stump.
Any pointers on the contenders for galerina spp?
Cheers
Ken