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Fascinating Fungi

December 08th, 2014

8/12/2014

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Four Australian Bolete Fungi
with many more on FungiOz app

Boletellus obscurecoccineus

Boletellus ObscurecoccinnusBoletellus Obscurecoccinnus
Boletellus Obscurecoccineus is also known as the Rhubarb bolete.   It is stunning and quite common in  Australian Eucalypt forest.  The flocked, puce upper surface makes it a joy to touch as well as look at.

Fistulina Mollis
Picture of the Australian fungi, Fistulina MollisFistulina Mollis
Fistulina Mollis is known as The Marshmallow Bolete due to the collapsible softness of it's tubes and pores. it's skin is very glutinous, sticky and can be stretched without breaking.

Phlebopus marginatus

Picture of Phlebopus marginatusPhlebopus marginatus
Phlebopus Marginatus is a giant Australian mushroom that can grow as large as a metre wide.  The flesh of cap and stem is solid but cuts rather like cake  with only a little blueing.   It was thought to be ectomycorrhizal but recent studies suggest otherwise and  efforts to cultivate this fungi are underway in Thailand.

Austroboletus Niveus

Picture of Austroboletus niveusAustroboletus niveus
This Australian Austroboletus fungi grows singly or in small groups in eucalyptus wood land.   The size varies to about 16 cm tall and7 -8 cm across and the stem is deeply reticulated. Both the stem and cap surface  sweat viscid and very bitter amber droplets and the stem surface is quite slimy.   In contrast, the cap surface is a pinky matt with incurred margins that are slightly appendiculate. The tubes and  pores are white and the spore print is pinkish- brown.

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An unidentified Australian puff-ball

2/12/2014

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Picture of Unidentified Australian puff-ball fungiUnidentified Australian puff-ball fungi
These unidentified puff-balls  were found  growing on a huge log, possibly beech, in early winter.   The colour was a very deep  orange, quite unlike the  usual Lycoperdon fungi.   They appear to have short thick, white stalks  and white spores that can be seen on the surface  of the lower fungi.  Notice how wrinkled the lower putt-ball is, yet it does not seem to have released any spores as yet.   

The close up photo shows the surface of the puff ball to be finely granular  and the specks to the left of the next photo are  some of these grains falling off.
Sideview of unidentified Australian puff balls
Sideview of unidentified Australian puff balls
Picture


It is interesting in the last photo that there is no spore stain around the apical hole that seems to have released  the spores onto it's neighbour.   I wondered  if this suggested a rather forceful ejection  of spores.
Apical hole on anorange unidentified Australian puff-ball
Apical hole on an unidentified Australian puff-ball



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Lepista nuda and a poisonous  Australian look-alike, Cortinarius archeri

2/12/2014

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Lepista nuda, known as the wood blewit mushroom, is a choice edible mushroom providing it is very well cooked.   It is regarded as having been introduced to Australia.    Lepista nuda is a reasonably substantial mushroom with palish purple cap, stem and gills. The nuda part of its scientific  name refers to the mushroom's totally smooth cap.    However, those tempted to try eating Lepista nuda had better be sure that they haven't  got the  poisonous Australian  mushroom, Cortinanus  archeri, in the pan.


Picture of Cortinarius archeri
Cortinarius archeri
Picture of wood-blewits
Lepista Nuda

Can you tell which of these two mushrooms is edible and which  is the poisonous  look-a-like? 
The colour of the two can be very similar especially in dry weather. Both start out as quite purple and fade to buff colour over time.  Both have smooth cap surfaces  that look similar when dry and both appear ringless.
Stem Differences
Picture Cortinarius stem with rust  stained stemRust coloured spore stains on the Cortinarius archeri stem




The most immediate difference is on the stem. Cortinanus  archeri has the rust brown spores that characterise  Cortinarius fungi.  Though it doesn't have a ring, in reasonably  mature specimens there will be rusty spore and
  cortina stains in place of a ring.

PictureBare stem of Lepista nuda











In contrast, the stem of Lepista nuda has no rusty stains.



Picture ofa young Cortinanus archeri fungiYoung Cortinarius archeri
Similarities & Differences when young.
Both mushrooms begin with a fairly swollen base and convex cap and both have solid pale lilac tinged flesh.  

Being a Cortinarius, archeri's cap is initially attached to the stem via a web known as a cortina.   However, as shown in this photo of a young Cortinarius archeri,  the web can easily be mistaken for a ring.

Picture of The smooth, slightly rubbery cap of Lepista nudaThe smooth, slightly rubbery cap of Lepista nuda
Cap Differences. The cap of  Lepista nuda is smooth and  slightly greasy to rubbery in texture but not slimy.   



As shown in the young specimen as well as this one, the surface of Cortinarius archeri is shiny and slimy in damp or wet conditions.

Picture showing  the slimy cap of Cortinarius  archeri
The slimy cap of Cortinarius archeri

Smell.  The edible Lepista nuda has a lovely sweet  and strong smell all of its own.  Cortinarius archeri has no smell.
Spore Print colour:  The spores of Cortinarius archeri are copious and rust coloured whereas the spore print of Lepista  nuda is a pinkish buff colour.
A last warning. Before deciding to cook up a mushroom you have  decided is Lepista nuda, keep in mind that if it  is not very well cooked it will have toxins that  can damage red blood cells.   So, the wisest choice is look, smell, enjoy but don't eat.
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    Australian Fungi

    Australia is estimated to have 200,000 fungi species compared with only 6,000 European.  However, only about 12,000 Australian mushrooms have been identified  with  about 6,000 named and described. This website and Fungioz app are dedicated to  increasing knowledge of both known and unidentified Australian mushrooms.
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     About Me

    I am not a mycologist  but have been fascinated by fungi  since childhood  sheep farm forays..   After moving  to the  northern edge of Australia's Otways National park I realised how many more wonderful species there are on  uncultivated  land..   I began photographing and researching and now sharing the ongoing results via FungiOz website and FungiOz app.  Fungi identification via field characteristics alone is tentative as are any suggested identifications in FungiOz app and website.

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