Mushroom ID

[lukeluke]

Hello. I'm new to mushroom identification and need a little help. I found this mushroom growing in a cluster out of soil in a woody area of someones garden. I'm in the process of taking spore print. The ring was slightly more pronounced when I first picked this one, but I guess its dried a little. Flesh is white, and it smells... mushroomy!

Any help appreciated.

Luke

[diggleken]

Hi Luke,
welcome to WAB!
I dont have an answer, its a bit battered, but its close to wood pinkgill, Entoloma rhodopolium, but if that is a ring, thats not right.
No doubt someone else will try.
Good pics too and habitat description, that might well help.....................
Cheers
Ken

[Ditiola]

Hi

I think it would help a lot if you made a spore print.

Pink-brown spores would confirm an Entoloma species

Are the gills as pink as they look in the photograph?

You say growing in a cluster how many approx?

If white spores it would be another Genus, perhaps Armillaria?

[Ken Burgess]

Originally Posted by Ditiola

If white spores it would be another Genus, perhaps Armillaria?

Agreed. And in this case it is Armillaria.

Ken

[lukeluke]

Thanks for responding so quickly. Yes, must apologize for poor photos. I didn't have my camera when I found it. I'll take my camera next week when I go back.

The Gills are more creamy white than the photo suggests and they have a thin brown strip on the edge of each one.

It definitely has a ring, probably about 1 cm wide. It seemed to dry up and disappear by the time I got it home.

I've just been out and bought a book - "Mushrooms" by Roger Phillips to help me with future identifications!

I was wondering if it could be honey fungus?

Luke

[lukeluke]

Oh and there were probably about 10 of varying sizes in the cluster.

[Ken Burgess]

Originally Posted by lukeluke

I was wondering if it could be honey fungus?

Yes it is honey fungus. But there are several species of Armillaria that are collectively known as honey fungus and they are not always easy to tell apart.

Ken

[lukeluke]

I'm fairly sure its Armillaria ostoyae. Thanks for all the help!

[Ken Burgess]

Originally Posted by lukeluke

I'm fairly sure its Armillaria ostoyae. Thanks for all the help!

Armillaria ostoyae has distinct cap scales and a prominent ring, usually with dark brown markings on. Your specimens lack all the important characters that would point to this species. I'm fairly sure it's a different species of Armillaria.

Ken

[lukeluke]

It did have a prominent ring when I first picked it. It somehow disappeared by the time I got it home. And it does have dark brown markings. The photo isn't great. It looks identical to the ostoyae pictures in my book.

I'll check when I go back next week anyway.