Honey fungus

Description:

The cap of Armillaria mellea is 5 to 15 cm in diameter. Colour ranging from honey-yellow to red-brown, with a darker area near the centre. The cap flesh is white and firm. Initially deeply convex, the caps flatten and often develop wavy, striate margins. Fine scales cover the young caps, most noticeably towards the centre. These scales do not always remain evident as the caps reach maturity. The adnate or more often weakly decurrent gills are crowded and flesh coloured, gradually becoming yellowish and finally developing rusty spots at maturity. When young, the stems are white, turning yellow or yellowish-brown and finely woolly as the fruitbody matures. 5 to 15 mm in diameter and 6 to 15 cm tall with a finely woolly surface. The stem flesh is white, full and fairly firm. A pale yellowish stem ring usually persists to maturity.

Habitat:

Armillaria mellea is found throughout Europe, although it is a rare or only occasional found in Scandinavia but increasingly common further south. This species is also found in many other parts of the world including North America. It is parasitic on or up against broad-leaf trees, including fruit trees in orchards, also occurring as a saprobe on stumps and dead roots, and occasionally on fallen branches.

Notes:

Spotted in Nieuwe Rande Forest in rural area of Deventer, Holland.(sources:see reference)