Small Brown Oysterling Type (ID Help Please)

[Lancashire Lad]

Found today on a fallen Beech Branch. (Above a large expanse of resupinate which I'm completely ignoring ).

Definitely not Panellus, gill colouration is wrong for Lentinellus, and nothing seems to match these in the Crepidotus family.

Largest fruitbody approx. 20mm across.



Any thoughts on ID much appreciated.

Regrds,
Mike.

[Chris Yeates]

hi Mike

as has been said before these crepidotoid fungi are not as straightforward as many might think - there is quite a number of possible genera besides Crepidotus

first thing to note is colour of a spore-print; then whether there is a gelatinous layer in the cap (which might suggest, for example, Hohenbuehelia); the presence of a distinctive stipe would rule out Resupinatus applicatus; it would be useful to known if this were 2- or 4-spored; I don't think it's Simocybe haustellaris (=Ramicola rubi)

my best suggestion would be Melanotus horizontalis but I would need to check the micro-characters to be happy

as I say, getting a good spore print is basic in this heterogeneous 'group', and microscopy is also often needed

cheers

Chris

PS if that purplish-brown coloration on that merulioid-odontioid resupinate you seem loath to pursue is due to a spore deposit from the agaric, rather than its own developing coloration, that would incline me more confidently towards Melanotus

C

[Lancashire Lad]

Thanks Chris, I think you are spot on.

I've just googled for it and this previous thread of Rob Sutton's came up and from macro characteristics it's identical: -

Melanotus (Psilocybe) horizontalis confirmation

I will try to get a spore print from it as reading the thread suggests that a purply brown spore print from fruitbodies on deciduous wood (mine was), will only be M.horizontalis.

Regards,
Mike.