Large coffee coloured in grass

[NickCantle]

Proving a toughie huh.

Have to say this one is frustrating me. I can't find it in the books!!!
AAArrrrgggh!

[cherrybee]

Hi tbalazs and a very warm welcome to WAB

[Angelo_Xanthi]

That was tough! One problem was that the stipe came out too obscured in the photo, but fortunately we had a description of it. It couldn't be the Miller (Clitopilus prunulus) because the cap colour didn't match, the gills were not decurrent and there was no cucumber (or, as some say, strongly farinaceous) smell. Russula was ruled out too because of the gill colour (russula gills can be white to deep yellow/ochraceous, any other gill colour rules out russula). I'm pretty sure it's the Field Blewit (Lepista personata = L. saeva): cap not sticky, dull silky, +-beige, gills whitish to light beige, stipe (which can be very short) +-violet longitudinally fibrillose, base sometimes a little enlarged, strongly attached to the substrate by the mycelium (should not come out of the ground very easily). Grows in grass, has thick, firm flesh and faint, almost indistinct smell. I thinks this should be it.

[NickCantle]

Thats the one Angelo

I did remember seeing some not too long ago and remember them smelling quite flowery and perfumed! But i defo agree with you there. I'm glad someone sorted that one out!!!

Nick

p.s You know your stuff!

[tbalazs]

I am impressed and grateful. The description in my book of the field blewit is exactly right, except that my mushroom has almost no smell.
Thank you, Angelo and everyone.
Tony.

[Angelo_Xanthi]

Hi again

Phillips and Jordan describe the smell of L. personata as perfumed or flowery, Courtecuisse says nothing about it and Breitenbach & Kranzlin (in "Fungi of Switzerland") describe it as "faint, almost not distinctive". I don't remember ever having found it, so I have no 'on the field' experience and can't say... Anyway, don't expect any distinctive smell from any mushroom when it's cold. You may be able to improve the smell by 'sticking' your nose into the gills (always smell the gills, not the cap) and blowing warm air onto them several times.

[tbalazs]

Thanks for the tips, Angelo.