The Ultimate "What is this Fungi?" thread.

[Niels]

I was hoping some of you could clear this one up?


2012-11-22 18.00.07 by Sami knives, on Flickr


2012-11-22 17.59.57 by Sami knives, on Flickr


2012-11-22 17.59.52 by Sami knives, on Flickr


And if so, can you eat it?

 

[demographic]

 

[Niels]

My good sir, that's no mushroom that's seaweed. Sorry I am absolutely clueless.

 

[demographic]

My good sir, that's no mushroom that's seaweed. Sorry I am absolutely clueless.

I know what it is, or at least I'm fairly sure I do anyway.
Its Sparassis Crispa.

 

[Niels]

Come on gents, do you really don't know that last one I posted? It's really common here it must be a discovered species.
Here's another type of mushroom I found, It's a lot smaller and it grew near salt water:


2012-11-24 13.11.43 by Sami knives, on Flickr


2012-11-24 13.11.35 by Sami knives, on Flickr


2012-11-24 13.10.58 by Sami knives, on Flickr

 

[Geoff Dann]

I know what it is, or at least I'm fairly sure I do anyway.
Its Sparassis Crispa.

Close, but no cigar. That's Sparassis spathula.

 

[Geoff Dann]

I was hoping some of you could clear this one up?


2012-11-22 18.00.07 by Sami knives, on Flickr


2012-11-22 17.59.57 by Sami knives, on Flickr


2012-11-22 17.59.52 by Sami knives, on Flickr


And if so, can you eat it?

Volvariella gloiocephala, and yes you can eat it. It has relatives that are cultivated in Asia, but this one only gets a 2 out of 5 on my rankings.

 

[Geoff Dann]

Come on gents, do you really don't know that last one I posted?

I can't be here all of the time...

It's really common here it must be a discovered species.
Here's another type of mushroom I found, It's a lot smaller and it grew near salt water:


2012-11-24 13.11.43 by Sami knives, on Flickr


2012-11-24 13.11.35 by Sami knives, on Flickr


2012-11-24 13.10.58 by Sami knives, on Flickr

[/quote]

That's an Entoloma, probably conferendum.

 

[Geoff Dann]

Well...I've just been out with my last mushrooming customers of the autumn, and I have to say that I cannot recall ever seeing Sussex so wet. We still managed to find some winter chanterelles, some waxcaps and some aged hedgehogs and terracotta hedgehogs, but mostly there was nothing. Mostly, in fact, what is normally woodland is currently wetland. It has been a tough old autumn for mushroom hunting. Here's hoping for a good one next year.

 

[fungi2bwith]

Still loads of winter chanterelles this morning along with a few chanterelles, hedgehogs, and wood blewits. Agreed it is very wet!

 

[demographic]

Close, but no cigar. That's Sparassis spathula.

I have read about those but to be honest couldn't work out the difference if any from Crispa and indeed one of the online references just says its the same thing.

How is it Sparthula instead of Crispa? I'm not arguing by the way, genuinely interested to know.

 

[Geoff Dann]

I have read about those but to be honest couldn't work out the difference if any from Crispa and indeed one of the online references just says its the same thing.

How is it Sparthula instead of Crispa? I'm not arguing by the way, genuinely interested to know.

They are not the same thing. They belong to the same genus, but they are different species. Spathula has fronds like spatulas and grows on deciduous trees. Crispa has tighter, smaller fronds and grows on pine.

 

[demographic]

They are not the same thing. They belong to the same genus, but they are different species. Spathula has fronds like spatulas and grows on deciduous trees. Crispa has tighter, smaller fronds and grows on pine.

It was growing on pine...

 

[Geoff Dann]

It was growing on pine...

OK...spathula can grow on various sorts of trees, crispa always on pine. That's sparassis spathula. Look it up using google images.

 

[demographic]

OK...spathula can grow on various sorts of trees, crispa always on pine. That's sparassis spathula. Look it up using google images.

Hmm, I'm not finding any reference to them, a few pictures but no positive mention of the differences.

Crispa is well documented and in all four of the Fungus books I've looked in, they go on to mention that there's possible confusion between them and Ramaria Formosa but after seeing pictures of those I'm positive its not one of those.
One book mentions Sparassis Brevipes which I could well imagine it being instead of Crispa as they seem very like each other.


Can you point me in the direction of info on Spathula please?

 

[Geoff Dann]

Hmm, I'm not finding any reference to them, a few pictures but no positive mention of the differences.

Ah well, the internet doesn't document everything documentable then, does it...

Crispa is well documented and in all four of the Fungus books I've looked in, they go on to mention that there's possible confusion between them and Ramaria Formosa but after seeing pictures of those I'm positive its not one of those.
One book mentions Sparassis Brevipes which I could well imagine it being instead of Crispa as they seem very like each other.

The picture you posted is of Sparassis spathulata (got the spelling right this time.) It's in Michael Jordan's Encyclopedia of fungi of Britain and Europe. It is not S. brevipes and it is not S. crispa. I have explained the differences to you. I'm sorry it's not in your books.

http://www.messiah.edu/Oakes/fungi_on_wood/club and coral/species pages/Sparassis spathulata.htm

Geoff

 

[Niels]

Thanks a load for the identifications Mr. Dann! I should buy a good shroombook too.

 

[demographic]

Ah well, the internet doesn't document everything documentable then, does it...



The picture you posted is of Sparassis spathulata (got the spelling right this time.) It's in Michael Jordan's Encyclopedia of fungi of Britain and Europe. It is not S. brevipes and it is not S. crispa. I have explained the differences to you. I'm sorry it's not in your books.

http://www.messiah.edu/Oakes/fungi_on_wood/club and coral/species pages/Sparassis spathulata.htm

Geoff

The important bit is that all the reasonable options are edible, I didn't keep any of it but might walk the dog there tomorrow.

 

[Geoff Dann]

The important bit is that all the reasonable options are edible, I didn't keep any of it but might walk the dog there tomorrow.

Oh, it's edible alright! :-D

This one is probably nicer than S. crispa. Easier to clean too.

 

[Geoff Dann]

deleted....wrong.