ID pos Mycena

[jaybie]

I have been sorting through some photographs taken earlier this year. This was taken Toby's Hill Reserve, Saltfleet which is dune grassland and scrub with Hawthorne. Cap approx 1.5cm across.



I think possibly Mycena flavoalba

Hope you can help, JohnB

[Ditiola]

Hi John B

I think looking at the brown gills this has brown spores!

Have you made a spore print?

I wish I could have a pound for each time I remind people to make a spore print before making a guess at the genus.

Mycena have white spores, and if this has brown spores which I think it has it cannot be a Mycens. Its that simple.

Try Bolbitius titibans (B.vitellinus in older books)

Peter

[jaybie]

Thanks Peter

Unfortunately I didn't take a spore print, this was taken in November, so can't help in that direction.

JohnB

[SheffieldLass]

Originally Posted by Ditiola

Try Bolbitius titibans (B.vitellinus in older books)

Peter

I'd agree too.

Melanie

[Ditiola]

A useful tip: when you know the colour of the spores you can narrow you search considerably with books like Roger Philips Mushroom book, as in this (and probably others) the toadstools are arranged into the spore colour.

In Roger Philips new edition you have the toadstool divided into:

p16 to p47 white (to ochre) spores and crumbly caps = Russula
p48 to p67 white (to ochre) spores crumbly caps and milky gills = Lactarius
p68 to p154 White spores
p155 to p168 Pale pink spores
P169 to p207 Bright Rusty brown spores (Cortinarius)
P208 to p214 Dull rust brown spores
P215 to p213 Tobacco brown to rusty brown spores
P234 to p247 Chocolate brown spores
P248 to p263 Dark brown to black spores

Although there may be some overlap it is a good start if you know the spore colour. If you are not sure what the descriptions of the colours relate to, make some prints of fungi you are certain off and keep the spores as a reference. I keep such spores on small squares of paper in plastic coin pouches. (As used by coin collectors). Some will fade with time but they last quite a while.

Peter

[jaybie]

Thanks again Peter, I have recently bought Phillips and so your tips will come in handy.

It is only earlier this year that my passing interest in fungi has begun to expand from just photography where I want to ID better what I am taking so very much on the bottom rung. Disappointed that I didn't get close here though.

Regards, John

[Ditiola]

Hi John

One on the main problems with using photographs for ID, is that many fungi change shape and colour as they develop and a specimen may be at a different stage of development from a photograph you are trying to compare it with. This is why reading the descriptions carefully is so important.

Many fungi are virtually impossible to identify when they have matured too far.

Bolbitius titubans is a bright egg yellow up to its maturity; it then fades to brown from the edge of the cap inward. As it is at its most attractive when it is all-over bright yellow this is what most of the photographs show.

The clues in your photograph are: It’s size, The bright egg yellow left in the centre of the cap (there are not many fungi this colour), The thinners of the cap (similar to Ink-caps), The furrowed cap edge, The viscous cap surface, and The brown gills (indicating possible brown spores, although beware there are some fungi with brown gills have white spores!) Always make a spore print if you are not sure.

Look out for Fungus Forays in you area next autumn, Do a search on Google at the beginning of September. Forays led by a knowledgeable mycologist are one of the best ways to learn.


Peter

[Ditiola]

Hi John
Sorry, I missed the fact that you are from Worksop. I think we met at the Clumber Foray. You will no doubt get to know about the local forays from Fungi John, and I expect yo know that there is a Nottinghamshire Fungus Group.

Peter