The Ultimate "What is this Fungi?" thread.

[crosslandkelly]

Fairy Ring Champignon or Clitocybe Rivulosa?
A whole bunch of them have appeared in the garden. I don't recall having them before, but I know the water table has risen over the last few years since construction on the new housing estate nearby started, so perhaps conditions suit them now.
Sorry about the poor photo's.

 

[awarner]

Having fun identifying these two, the first I believe is the trooping funnel based on the size which was about 20+ cm across, found near hazel, ash and oak. The other possibly Armillaria cepistipes? The stalks are solid and resilient to being touched. Found on two large fallen oaks, oaks are currently still alive.
The season started slow but fungi have certainly gone crazy with the largest penny bun and parasols I’ve ever seen.

Please correct me if I'm wrong

 

[baggins]

Fairy Ring Champignon or Clitocybe Rivulosa?
A whole bunch of them have appeared in the garden. I don't recall having them before, but I know the water table has risen over the last few years since construction on the new housing estate nearby started, so perhaps conditions suit them now.
Sorry about the poor photo's.

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Try comparing them with young Honey Fungus (Armillaria). There does seem to be a flush of them this year.

 

[baggins]

Having fun identifying these two, the first I believe is the trooping funnel based on the size which was about 20+ cm across, found near hazel, ash and oak. The other possibly Armillaria cepistipes? The stalks are solid and resilient to being touched. Found on two large fallen oaks, oaks are currently still alive.
The season started slow but fungi have certainly gone crazy with the largest penny bun and parasols I’ve ever seen.

Please correct me if I'm wrong

Again, i think your ID is spot on. Definitely Monks Heads for the first and Honey for the second.

 

[Wander]

My turn!
I must confess that my fungi knowledge isn't that strong. That's partly due to caution and lack of confidence - misidentifying could have serious ramifications.
Anyway, I saw these two whilst out yesterday.
This first one I have down as an amethyst deceiver. It was found on the border of beech and sweet chestnut woods.

The second I found is some kind of (bedraggled) bolete.
I have trouble telling which is which. Most seem to turn blue when broken, but this one didn't.
I'd appreciate it if someone can tell which it is and why.

 

[baggins]

Yup, the top one looks like an amythest deciever to me. I often have good success around beech trees. The 2nd, is a strong contender for an older cep, the white netting on the top of the stem is a good indicator. And, depending on your tolerance of protein, still perfectly edible, although yours looks pretty bug free.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Thanks awarner and baggins, Honey fungus appears to be the one. All growng around and on, the stump of a small dead Maple.

 

[awarner]

The top photo on the stump without a closeup looks like turkeytail, (trametes versicolor) or a variant of the trametes family.
Love the turkeytail as some can be quite bland in colour while others have a spectacular display.

 

[Broch]

Despite a number of reference books (including Dann and Phillips amongst others) I am having difficulty Identifying the following species. OK, it's an Agaricus but I can't pin it down.

Cap between 4 and 12cm in the specimens I found, cream to light brown paler at the margins, radially fibrous.
Gills pinky brown, free, dense, spore colour dark brown
Stem between 4 and 12cm tall, 12 to 20mm wide, thickening slightly towards the base, no volva, cream to light brown with distinct persistent superior ring, darker on the top of the ring
Flesh white, no staining with light 'mushroomy' smell (i.e. not almond or TCP)

Staining - the flesh does not stain at all, the cap stains yellowish if bruised (see photo), the base of the stem stains 'ochre' a little - not bright yellow.

 

[Keith_Beef]

I was watching an old episode of QI on Youtube last week, and the subject of mushrooms came up.

Among the chatter, Stephen Fry referred to a group of mycologists who had bought a packet of dried mushrooms from a supermarket in the UK and tested the pieces of mushroom in it.

I tracked down a report of the event to this article published by Kew Gardens:

Kew mycologists Bryn Dentinger and Laura Martinez-Suz have discovered three species of mushrooms that are new to science in a commercial packet of dried Chinese porcini purchased from a shop in London.


Porcini mushrooms (Boletus section Boletus) are one of the most traded wild edible mushrooms, but although relatively well known, recent research at Kew has shown that they are more diverse than previously thought. China is a major exporter of porcini, mainly to Europe, but reliable identification of wild collected porcini can be difficult, especially from under-documented regions.


Although it had been shown previously that unknown species were entering the porcini trade, even the Kew mycologists were surprised when they used DNA-sequencing methods to identify 15 mushroom pieces from the commercial packet and found that all belonged to three diagnosable species, none of which had scientific names.


The finding demonstrates the ubiquity of unknown fungal diversity, even in traded products, and the recognition of these species will enable better regulations to improve food safety and enable countries to adhere to international agreements on the exploitation of wild species.

 

[Nice65]

I was watching an old episode of QI on Youtube last week, and the subject of mushrooms came up.

Among the chatter, Stephen Fry referred to a group of mycologists who had bought a packet of dried mushrooms from a supermarket in the UK and tested the pieces of mushroom in it.

I tracked down a report of the event to this article published by Kew Gardens:

A while ago I bought some dried mixed mushrooms from one of the better supermarkets and found the main ingredient to be Honey Fungus! Needless to say I took them back.

 

[Broch]

Yep, it's a hugely difficult subject. I went on a three day fungus ID course two years ago and the expert there (a retired Uni lecturer that had been a mycologist all her working life) couldn't identify one of the specimens I took in from my wood. We were using x600 microscopes looking at spore size and shape and the cystidia shape and still couldn't identify it.

Does make you worry about 'bought' mushrooms though

 

[Broch]

A while ago I bought some dried mixed mushrooms from one of the better supermarkets and found the main ingredient to be Honey Fungus! Needless to say I took them back.

But honey Fungus (Armillaria mellea) is classed as edible; in fact in some foraging books it's classified as a delicacy. But, like a lot of foods, some people are upset by it.

 

[Nice65]

But honey Fungus (Armillaria mellea) is classed as edible; in fact in some foraging books it's classified as a delicacy. But, like a lot of foods, some people are upset by it.

True. But as you say, some are sensitive to it. It’s also a bit of an underhand ingredient to add because they’re obviously wild mushrooms. I’m sure the average shopper is expecting a mix of Cep, Chantrelle, Horn of Plenty etc, not what’s sprouting off the old apple stump in the garden.

 

[Ducky-93]

Hoof fungus? Any help would be apreciated

Sent from my SM-A705FN using Tapatalk

 

[Broch]

Yep, or Tinder Bracket - Fomes fomentarius

 

[TeeDee]

I have a question - apologies that its a bit ambiguous , but how large can Dryads saddle get before it becomes less edible?

There are Two growing on the stump just down the road I am keeping my eye upon with an intent to harvest - but when best to harvest??

I obviously want the largest but most succulent version that they can be?

Ideas.

 

[Ducky-93]

Yep, or Tinder Bracket - Fomes fomentarius

Thank you kindly, I'll be getting a few of those tomorrow!

Sent from my SM-A705FN using Tapatalk

 

[Broch]

I have a question - apologies that its a bit ambiguous , but how large can Dryads saddle get before it becomes less edible?

There are Two growing on the stump just down the road I am keeping my eye upon with an intent to harvest - but when best to harvest??

I obviously want the largest but most succulent version that they can be?

Ideas.

It's not the size it's the toughness - the test is does your knife go through it easily or do you have to force it through hard pieces. It should be easy to cut in other words.

 

[TeeDee]

It's not the size it's the toughness - the test is does your knife go through it easily or do you have to force it through hard pieces. It should be easy to cut in other words.

Does Fungi , if harvested early in the season - regrow a new 'head' once its been taken?