Unidentified Fungi North Yorkshire Nov.2011

[steve_hn]

I was hoping someone may be able to help me identify this fungi found growing almost horizontally out of the soil on a fairly steep section at the edge of a wood in North Yorkshire. It was found growing amongst mainly pine.

[Chris Yeates]

hi

(it's a fungus); it's got me thinking Amanita phalloides . . . .

Chris

[Ditiola]

Hi

The tissue on top of the cap is the remains of the universal veil which covered the cap when young, you can also just see the remains at the base of the stem in the right hand picture, the remains at the base is called a volva.

Only two genera have a universal veil:

Amanita with white spores, and Volvariella with salmon-pink spores

A spore print will easily separate the two, however as the universal veil has not torn into small patches on the cap I think this is a Volvariella, probably V.gloiocephala

Peter

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by Ditiola

. . . I think this is a Volvariella, probably V.gloiocephala

Peter

I first thought that, (and have of course junked the idea of phalloides - no ring) but that extensively plicate margin, indicating where the gills are attached, says Amanitopsis to me - never seen that character so marked in Volvariella; as you say a spore-print would settle it

cheers

Chris

[Ditiola]

Morning Chris, you are up and about early

On second thoughts I think you are right with Amanita, as Volvariella gloiocephala would not be so striate at the cap margin.

Peter

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by Ditiola

Morning Chris, you are up and about early. . .
Peter

yeah - acute chest infection - been up since 5am coughing - gonna try and get some more sleep soon . . . .

Chris

[fairplay]

The striate cap margin would also rule out A.phalloides and usually the velar remains on the cap would not be there by now.

I found an Amanitopsis like this in a clay based wood 2 years ago and still haven't been able to put a name to it.
The volval bag around the base of the stem needs to be carefully looked at too.
My sample had no pine anyway near though.

Neil.

[steve_hn]

Thanks for all of your valuable input.

Sorry for my bad terminology, I'm actually sometimes unsure whether to use the word fungi, fungus or even mushroom. Fungi is obviously the plural of fungus so I can see I should have used fungus in this case. Is it also o.k to say mushroom?

I found this specimen when out walking, and the sun was fast going down. Unfortunately I only got the chance to take a few snapshots, so no possibility of a spore test. It was a pleasure to look at though!

[ashgale]

Originally Posted by Chris Yeates

yeah - acute chest infection - been up since 5am coughing - gonna try and get some more sleep soon . . . .

Chris

hope the infection is not caused by sniffing up all those fungal spores

apparently in the US & Canada there have been a number of cases of fungal spore entering the lungs and taking over the body, with dire results in some cases,

'Highly Virulent' Strain of Killer Fungus Found in Oregon

ashgale

[Ditiola]

Originally Posted by steve_hn

Thanks for all of your valuable input.

Sorry for my bad terminology, I'm actually sometimes unsure whether to use the word fungi, fungus or even mushroom. Fungi is obviously the plural of fungus so I can see I should have used fungus in this case. Is it also o.k to say mushroom?

I found this specimen when out walking, and the sun was fast going down. Unfortunately I only got the chance to take a few snapshots, so no possibility of a spore test. It was a pleasure to look at though!

Hi

You an call them what you want for me

Although 'Mushroom' is perhaps the most misleading term to use, as it is used by different people to mean different things, for most mycologist it usually means a species from the genus Agaricus, and as it is a non scientific title no one is really right or wrong.

For the gilled fungi 'Toadstool' is slightly less confusing than mushroom as it infers any fungus that has a stem and cap, but 'Agaric' is the correct and unambiguous name to use for the gilled fungi

'Fungi' encompass all the groups, not just gilled fungi

Peter