Blue-Green Fungus for ID

[clb100]

I am having trouble with ID-ing this fungus.

Blue-Green in colour on both cap and stipe; cap 4cm stipe 7cm. The cap is sticky. Found in grass on a hedge line on chalk heathland site. The colour in natural light is a little more blue than I can get on camera in artificial light.



Help with ID would be appreciated.

TIA clb100

[BROCSMAN]

How about Stropharia aeruginosa?

[clb100]

Hi Brocksman,

Originally Posted by BROCSMAN

How about Stropharia aeruginosa?

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm not confident enough to say even if Stropharia is the correct genus. So I didn't attempt a possible ID.

I had looked at S aeruginosa in both Roger Phillips and the new Collins Guide. Both indicate that S aeruginosa has white scales on the stype. The picture in Phillips (new edition) shows very distinct scales on the stype. Mine doesn't appear to have these. Phillips says it is often confused with S caerulea.

I thought that S caerulea was a possibility but it seems it should lose its blue-green colour very rapidly - but maybe my specimen isn't old enough. Also gills are reddish/brown according to Collins. Mine are buff.

If it is a Stropharia these seem to be the only alternatives though. It seems that a spore print might help so I'll try that next.

clb100

[fairplay]

This is a Stropharia species, but you may have handled the stem too much before taking the photo as there are no markings to be seen which could help us narrow it down to species level.

Neil.

[clb100]

Thanks Neil,

Originally Posted by fairplay

This is a Stropharia species, but you may have handled the stem too much before taking the photo as there are no markings to be seen which could help us narrow it down to species level.

Neil.

For the benefit of my education, what distinguishes it as a Stropharia?

The stype is very much as when it was found. Handled only by the very base until I photographed it. There has been a lot of rain in the last few days here and it was surrounded by grass so any scales may have been washed/rubbed off.

Are there Stropharia species other than aeruginosa or caerulea which are candidates? And what on the stype would distinguish between species?

Thanks

clb100

[flaxton]

Originally Posted by clb100

Thanks Neil,

For the benefit of my education, what distinguishes it as a Stropharia?

clb100

It is collybioid to tricholomatoid shape with a viscid cap and often a membranous ring.

Originally Posted by clb100

Thanks Neil,


The stipe is very much as when it was found. Handled only by the very base until I photographed it. There has been a lot of rain in the last few days here and it was surrounded by grass so any scales may have been washed/rubbed off.

Are there Stropharia species other than aeruginosa or caerulea which are candidates? And what on the stype would distinguish between species?

Thanks

clb100

I think you hit on the problem for the overall colour and stipe floccose, the rain. S aeruignosa has a substantial ring on the stem (especially when young) S caerulea has an ephemeral ring.

Mal

[BROCSMAN]

That's me rushing to judgment too quickly as usual.

Bon suggests that caerula is "urban" and aeruginosa is found in woodland, but those I've found tend to be in grassland, ie neither.

I've never knowingly found more than one species, whuich I've regarded as aeruginosa. Are both commonly found?

[fairplay]

If I'm leading a foray, I just call it aeruginosa, but don't add it to the official list, but on my own when I check them out, they probably work out about equal in numbers.

Neil.

[Chris Yeates]

Stropharia caerulea for me, but with the usual microscopy proviso

see:

Unknown Mushrooms

and

Stewy's Stropharia

Chris

[BROCSMAN]

Thanks both.