ID help please.

[Slimey]

Hi,

Does anyone here recognise this mushroom? It was growing with several others in a flowerbed at my inlaws and smelt just like a supermarket mushroom.

Pics at http://www.sbarr.demon.co.uk/mushroom/

Pictures 7 and 8 are fresh cuts while 9 and 10 are the same cuts 20 minutes later.

The only thing like it in a book I have is Aaricus bisporus, but the gills are the wrong colour.

Any ideas?

Simon.

 

[gregorach]

Hmmm... the ring and the blubous base makes me think it's an amanita of some kind, possibly Amanita citrina (the False Death Cap) but also possibly one of the Destroying Angels (this name refers to several similar species depending on location, but in Europe I think it is Amanita verna). Did it have a sack-like volva?

I wouldn't even consider eating it. Destroying Angel is probably the most poisonous mushroom in the world, so don't take risks with anything that looks like it.

 

[stovie]

Hi,

Does anyone here recognise this mushroom? It was growing with several others in a flowerbed at my inlaws and smelt just like a supermarket mushroom.

The only thing like it in a book I have is Aaricus bisporus, but the gills are the wrong colour.

Any ideas?

Simon.

Hi Simon,

Don't Panic, it's just a Macrolepiota (probably a variant of M. procera). There are many sub-divisions of Lepiota, but the way to tell a true specimin (apart from microscopic analysis of the spores, for those of you who were about to correct me ) is the freely movable ring around the stem, which those appear to have.

I can say with certainty that it is NOT any form of Agaric, neither A. virosa, phalloides or the False Death Cap A. citrina.

But I wouldn't eat it all the same

 

[gregorach]

What makes you sure it's not a amanita? Not that I'm doubting you, just looking to expand my knowledge...

Looking more closely, I think you're right that it's a Macrolepiota, but the stem doesn't look quite right for M procera to me. It's always hard to tell from photos.

 

[stovie]

What makes you sure it's not a amanita? Not that I'm doubting you, just looking to expand my knowledge...

Looking more closely, I think you're right that it's a Macrolepiota, but the stem doesn't look quite right for M procera to me. It's always hard to tell from photos.

To answer the second bit first, I did qualify my response with "variety of" because the stem is indeed not quite text book, but the sub-divisions are enormous, and vary from area to area. Hence I did not suggest taking the plunge and eating. Though "I" would...but that is just me...there aren't many I haven't tried...Destroying Angel being one of them. Facinating toxin, alpha-amanitin, it can be consumed, the victim can remain asymptomatic for anything up to 24 hours, then feel a little rough, then by the time they present to A/E they are in liver failure and terminal. Isn't nature amazing....

As to why it is NOT an Amanita, the gill ring for one, it is solid and movable, in the amanitas it is a very soft remnant of the universal veil. Amanitas are a facinating species, so distinctive in every way, and the Destroying Angel is the only gilled fungi with ringed stem and volva, that is totally white.

 

[gregorach]

As to why it is NOT an Amanita, the gill ring for one, it is solid and movable, in the amanitas it is a very soft remnant of the universal veil.

Ah yes, I see. Thanks

 

[JoshG]

Facinating toxin, alpha-amanitin, it can be consumed, the victim can remain asymptomatic for anything up to 24 hours, then feel a little rough, then by the time they present to A/E they are in liver failure and terminal. Isn't nature amazing....

It's fascinating... but not in the good way!

 

[Slimey]

Stovie,

I think you were right in your identification, I checked on the rogers mushrooms site and the picture there looked like what I had found. The edibilty of this mushroom seems to be uncertain, don't think I'll try though!

I've also got a lot to learn about this recognition lark, the book I first looked in has this very mushroom in it, I just didn't spot it.

Thanks for all the replies.

Simon.