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mousey grey/brown smooth cap with thick, stocky stipe, very thick at base which is joined to 3 other mushrooms and would not divide when I picked it. Note the tiny one just coming through has a much darker cap. White mycelium are visible above the forest duff and below the surface of the ground. Very pleasant mushroom odour. Cap fleshy and with a distinct overhang past the gills at the edge. Gills are attached and extend a little down the stipe.
Pacific westcoast temperate rainforest in a garden compost under a cedar tree.
This clump of 3 mushrooms was noticeably heavy and solid. I felt like they should be edible by the lovely fragrance as I put them to my face.
Spotted on Nov 11, 2013
Submitted on Nov 12, 2013
5 Comments
Possibly Leucopaxillus albissimus
I am thinking of L. gentianeus because of the bitter taste as well as all the other characteristics, but the cap colour on my mushroom is so much more grey than this species. But the flesh is not tough on mine….hmmmmm! Any help from mushroom folks of the PNW?
Thanks Leuba! I forgot to mention that the spore print of this mushroom is creamy white which would fit with Leucopaxillus species too. And just now I put my tongue on the white flesh of the exposed cap and it definitely has a bitter taste! So now I just need to figure out which species. Thanks for getting me in the right genus!
Great photos and information Kathleen. Leucopaxillus comes to mind -i am not quite sure about Canadian species. Over here they grow under introduced conifers, have copious white mycelium under fruiting bodies and share features similar to mushrooms in your spotting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucopaxill...
Photo 3 shows the mature specimens with their caps turned up like a flower head and divided into petals. Note that the stipe is darker now than in the younger individuals.