Poison Pax

Description:

These were mushrooms with caps about 70 mm wide. Cap surface showed concentric zonation and with age they became funnel-shaped. Some cap margins were undulating and others showed some indentation. Gills were close brown and decurrent. Stipe was plain.

Habitat:

Spotted growing in colonies under non-native trees.
This species was accidentally introduced into Australia, New Zealand and South America. A native of countries in the Northern Hemisphere.

Notes:

These mushrooms are said to have persistant in-rolled margins but the ones I spotted had flat caps. This fungus is mycorrhizal with a variety of trees and helps the trees by reducing intake of heavy metals. Also protects from fungal infection in trees. This fungus is however, extremely poisonous to humans causing autoimmune hemolysis if eaten raw. Closely related to Boletes.