The Ultimate "What is this Fungi?" thread.

**A.Gronow** · 08-03-2010, 15:52

Hi all,
Out for a walk today found this.
I need to greatly expand my fungi knowledge, apart from the obvious field mushrooms, and some psychedelic varieties I knew as a kid I haven't a clue.
Anyway, appreciate the help.

**listenclear** · 08-03-2010, 21:01

My guess is horses hoof but it is just a guess.
Is it on a beech tree (another guess)? Not sure if horses hoof grows on beech but knowing the tree may help with identification

**listenclear** · 08-03-2010, 21:02

My guess is horses hoof but it is just a guess.
Is it on a beech tree (another guess)? Not sure if horses hoof grows on beech but knowing the tree may help with identification

**Miyagi** · 08-03-2010, 21:21

Looks a bit like a horse hoof, but possibly a many zoned polypore.

I'm a complete novice so I can'y say for sure.

Liam

**A.Gronow** · 09-03-2010, 10:05

Thanks for the info.
Feel a complete dork as I didn't even consider looking at the tree. doh!

**Lordyosch** · 13-03-2010, 09:00

I found these fine specimens growing on birch in North Yorkshire. Looked at Rogers and the Collins Guide and can't find a closer match than Fomes Fomentarius, the good old horses hoof. Tis not an exact match and I'd heard they only grow north of the border.

What think you, oh wise ones?

Cheers,

Jay

**milius2** · 17-03-2010, 20:41

Hi guys, could this be Fomes Fomentarius fungi? It has been growing on a huge willow, or m'be on lime, cant say for sure as i found it after those two trees were choped down.

**MH75** · 16-04-2010, 23:23

Originally Posted by Lordyosch

I found these fine specimens growing on birch in North Yorkshire. Looked at Rogers and the Collins Guide and can't find a closer match than Fomes Fomentarius, the good old horses hoof. Tis not an exact match and I'd heard they only grow north of the border.

What think you, oh wise ones?

Cheers,

Jay

Looks like fomes fomentarius to me.

**MH75** · 16-04-2010, 23:24

Originally Posted by milius2

Hi guys, could this be Fomes Fomentarius fungi? It has been growing on a huge willow, or m'be on lime, cant say for sure as i found it after those two trees were choped down.

Would go for Ganoderma applanatum.

**mike 01302** · 31-05-2010, 20:13

the velvet shank actually look like slippery jack (suillus elegans) to the complete novice that i am ; ) and i would agree with the rest of you on the horses hoof identification

**jonnie drake** · 01-06-2010, 20:49

anyone know this one? sorry for the naff pics!!!

**listenclear** · 02-06-2010, 17:21

I think that looks like a dryads sadle (polyporus squamosus).......maybe

**jonnie drake** · 02-06-2010, 21:08

thanks very much just did a quick google of it if you are wrong I will eat my hat! do you know of any uses for it??

**listenclear** · 03-06-2010, 11:27

I beleive that they are edible when young (according to michael jordan) but haven't seen one myself (or eaten one) so can't give you any first hand advice. Other than that I don't know anything else about them really. Sorry.
Nice find though mate - it's a beauty

**jonnie drake** · 05-06-2010, 15:44

thanks for all the help

tis a beauty!!! there were a few slugs hanging around the base of it, perhaps they had a liking for it. Shame I couldnt get any better pics!

**Globetrotter.uk** · 08-06-2010, 09:10

The only one I saw whilst on holiday in scarborough and it was too high to reach. is it Horse Hoof?

**listenclear** · 10-06-2010, 16:19

I would say that it's a contender for sure but afraid that the photo doesn't show enough detail.
I do like your tag though mate

**jonnie drake** · 10-06-2010, 23:42

any ideas??

**listenclear** · 11-06-2010, 09:57

Judging from the widely spaced gills and the uniform colour my guess is the deceiver. I'm definately not 100% as i'm not sure when these guys start appearing and additionally i've always found them amongst trees.
Anyway, you could try looking at pics and info on the deceiver (Laccaria laccata) and see what you think...
Cheers

**jonnie drake** · 15-06-2010, 15:50

cheers mate very helpful of you, you know much more than I do!

**listenclear** · 15-06-2010, 21:30

Thanks for the complement mate but i'm still only learning the basics, and it's alot easier to guess when it's someone elses pictures in some ways. Although it often takes a lot more information to get an accurate name it's easy to sit at a pc screen and take a stab at it.
I've spent a long time looking at pics and reading about the same mushrooms over and over again.
There are others on the forum with outstanding knowledge.
Have to admit though that this thread is my favourite in the forum.
Cheers and keep 'em coming!!!

**Harvestman** · 25-07-2010, 20:54

Ok, here's a challenge folks. A question with no photo. I'm normally ok with fungi, but this has me stumped.

Collected late May/early June, from what was a willow/alder woodland, and is now a lot of stumps and piles of chippings. The fungi were growing abundantly on the chippings piles, and nowhere else. They key out as genus Agaricus, and I'm certain that is what they are, but I can't get them to species. Either the habitat or the season is wrong. They are browner than a field mushroom, and had no obvious smell when fresh. Now that they are dried (I kept them) they have a pleasant mushroomy smell. When cut or bruised they did not turn yellow or red. Cap was not scaly. Stem with a large and obvious ring. No volva, and gills dark, with a dark brown spore print. Growing in loose clumps.

Based on the pictures in Roger Phillips book, the best match for general appearance is Agrocybe praecox, but it isn't that because of the ring, and the gill colour was much darker.

Habitat says something like Agaricus bitorquis, but the appearance isn't right. Appearance is rather like Agaricus augustus (The prince) in colour, but it wasn't scaly. Horse mushroom is also possible, but wrong habitat and time of year. I'm stuck.

This is really frustrating me, as whilst I am certain that this must be an edible species, I have a personal rule (based on a bad experience many years ago when I took a chance and got it wrong) that I won't eat any mushroom that I cannot identify to species with absolute certainty.

Any bright ideas?

(As they are dried out now a photo is a bit useless)

**listenclear** · 25-07-2010, 23:38

This is a real challenge Harvestman

Been looking through my Roger's and having a think. Not come up with any conclusions and probably just thinking along the same lines as you BUT; it could be a freak early occurence of one of the agaicus family (poss doe to strange weaher/temps) and the gill colours can change alot depending on the age of the mushrooms.
Are you able to say if the 'shrooms were growing ON the chippings or from the soil UNDER the chippings? If they were just growing in the soil then that would take a wee bit more of the puzzle out of it as we have no real way of knowing what tree(s) the chippings were from...
Just thinking out loud really

**Harvestman** · 27-07-2010, 10:20

Definitely growing on the chippings themselves, and not from soil beneath. However, I know that the chippings are willow and alder (mainly willow), both from the stumps, and because I knew the woodland before it became a pile of chippings.

I went after them originally because I thought they were a late eruption of St george's mushroom, but as soon as I got them home they were obviously something else. Incidentally, gill colour seemed constant (give or take) in young and old specimens.

I'm tempted to just try a small quantity and see how I get on, but the risks of that are obvious, and I've been there, done that, and don't really want the illness that resulted again. I'm pretty sure they will be edible, but I've been wrong before...

I don't normally have problems with identifying large-ish fungi, but this one has me frustrated.

**listenclear** · 27-07-2010, 10:57

Hmmm, got me totally confused too and have got next to no idea.
Thanks for the additional info though. I have to say that even when I'm pretty sure of the species I've got I'm still a bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to eating them. It's clear you know the risks etc but all I'm thinking is that MAYBE just maybe you've got a very rare species or undocumented one, I know the chances are very slim but it does happen.
Perhaps you could wait till next year and send a specimen to Kew or the Royal botanics here in Edinburgh for ID. I know that in the edinburgh botanics they openly invite people to do that - it keeps them in work!!! Whatever happens your patience would be rewarded; if it's poisonous - you live, if it's rare - you get credit for finding it and if it's edible - you can eat it.
Just my tuppence worth...

**Harvestman** · 27-07-2010, 12:26

No, I'm not really stupid enough to try eating one. Just a thought.

**Melonfish** · 30-07-2010, 11:41

CalibanZwei spotted these the other day, there's a large pile of chipped wood left by the council and after the recent rains the fungus amongus decided to show its head.

i have an idea what these are but i'd appreciate some more input

overall shot

underneath shot showing transient ring (it had come off on others) no volva btw

alot were growing in pairs too

shot of cap

shot of gills - adnexed

and a spore print

let me know what you think

**Harvestman** · 30-07-2010, 21:01

Ok, this is probably going to show up how little i know, but those things look damn similar to what i was describing!

Maybe a bit less Agaricus than mine, but like I said, i've been wrong before.

Melonfish, stop teasing and say what you think!

**ArkAngel** · 31-07-2010, 21:21

So nothing on this thread looks the same as the one growing on our lawn at the moment (near a fir tree)

Any one got any idea's?

**SOAR** · 31-07-2010, 22:13

Looks like Chlorophyllum rhacodes

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Tree fungus on Birch...

Fomes Fomentarius

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