Beiträge von Steve_mt

I don't think there are many Mucor fans here but I went to investigate a mucor-like microfungus produced on a tomato fruit at home.

I did some background research on what Mucorales grows on tomatoes and ended with a short list of five species: Rhizopus microsporus sl, R. stolonifer , Mucor plumbeus , M. racemosus , M. piriformis .

Under the microscope, I could not see basal rhizoids (but it is also a bit hard to extract them from the mesh of mycelia, like picking a mite from Bob Marley's hair) so I am assigning this to Mucor sp.

Furthermore, I have these findings:

Sorangiophores / hyphae: straight, silvery white (semi hyaline), 20-50um wide, sometimes branching below the sporangia.

Sporangia: Rounded, slightly compressed at the base, lead-gray (with olive-green tinge when not mature) to black, (47.6) 52.6 - 127.2 (187.2) × (41.4) 45.1 - 101.8 (122.4) µm [ Me = 77.4 × 70.9 µm ]

Columella: Pyriform, broadly conical, or boxing glove shaped, 30-80um wide [ Me = 104.9 × 78.1 µm ; Qe = 1.3 ]

Zygosporangia: not seen

Spores : Variable in shape from sunspherical to broadly ovate/broadly ellipsoid to sometimes more elongated (6.9) 8.4 - 11.1 (11.9) × (6.3) 6.8 - 9.6 (10.3) [Me = 9.7 × 8.2 err ; Qe = 1.2]

My finding compares will with Mucor pyriformis found here (spores and columella quite distinct)

What are your opinions?

Zitat von beli 1

Hallo Steve

Agaricus devoniensis ?

LG

Thank you so much for your suggestion and sorry for the delay, I went off from fungi for a some time and forgot to check here

I was not aware of a specific Agaricus in sand dunes and I think you are correct. Everything is matching, especially the ring, the spore size is pinpoint and the mild (sourish) taste which usually bisporus don't have. Colours and size too. This is a great finding.

BIG THANK YOU

LG

Stephen

I have found an Agaricus sp. at a touristic sand dune which I am trying to identify from the macro and micro.

- The mushroom has a cap 9 cm across and about 12cm long, stem 2 cm diameter. Odor fungoid (mushroomy), pleasant, like edible mushrooms, a hint of aromatic (but I don't mean anise-like). Taste like button mushrooms, slightly bitter.

- Ring fleshy but with a thin outer rim.

- Gills chocolate brown, crowded

- KOH -ve on flesh and cap

- On cutting in half there was no reaction but a little redding at the flesh under the gills and cuticle.

Spores size:

(5.5) 5.8 - 6.7 (16.6) × (4.3) 4.4 - 4.9 (5.2) µm

Q = (1.1) 1.2 - 1.4 (1.7) ; N = 39

Me = 6.5 × 4.7 µm; Qe = 1.3

Sterigmata x2 (+++) and x3 (+) and x4 (++) [ plusses = estimated abundance ]

Cheilocystidia not seen but maybe not distinct or deteriorated.

I would say it is an Agaricus bisporus with spores escaping from the restaurants closeby (from delivery of fresh button mushrooms), but the x3 and x4 sterigmata are a bit off for bisporus (or they can be found too?)

Dear Helmut, sorry for taking so long. I had some unexpected bad news re my computer.

The Caulocystidia in young specimens are throughout most of the length somehow on the outer ribs of the stipe, however in mature specimens the stipe turns beige and the pruinosity is lost and limited at the upper 1/4th.

Now I realise that this is the new species recently described in Ditte Bandi Paper as Inocybe mecoana from Portugal and Malta!!! It is very close to I. phaeoleuca.

Inocybe mecoana

In a mature specimen, pruinosity of the stipe is reduced!

Hello, everyone, and I hope you had a good start for 2025.

I encountered a Tricholoma sp. with a dark reddish-brown cap , white gills which turn cream or pale brown on aging (due to spore cover) , and a white stipe which turns light beige with time. Spore print chocolate brown. Several specimens were under Pine or Cypress trees in a calcareous ground. I made the mistake of not smelling it!

The spores are quite large with a distinct apiculum, elliptical-phaseoliform, brown.

(10.9) 11.6 - 13 (14.5) × (5.6) 5.9 - 7 (7.6) µm

Q = (1.7) 1.8 - 2 (2.2) ; N = 39

V = (190) 221 - 334 (402) µm3

Me = 12.3 × 6.5 µm; Qe = 1.9 ; Ve = 274 µm3

The cheilocystidia are numerous, narrowly utriform (capitate?) with many horn-shaped crystals at the top.

Pileipellis with dark pigments on the walls. I saw clamp junctions too.

Basidia broad, rounded apex, (2)-4 sporous.

Do I have enough information to give me a clue about the identity?

Zitat von sarifa

Hi Steve,

This is quite a typical find among pines in the Mediterranean, I've found it abundantly in Crete as well and it seems to be one of the prominent and abundant species in the Balearic Islands as well from what I've read.

Best,

Sarah

Alles anzeigen

Thank you Sarah. Here in Malta, I have not seen quite often, but then, we do not have many old forests, and many woodland areas are rather recent afforestation (planted 20-50 years ago). Anyway thanks for your observation

THANK YOU so much.

I downloaded this important contribution. I check my Tricholoma findings in the past, {not many from Malta}, but it would be a good exercise to to do to confirm my findings. Maybe I post something more , here for support of my determinations.

Zitat von Nannette

Hello Steve,

Am I correct in assuming that T. batschii is listed as a synonym for T. fracticum?

Hallo Ingo.

Liege ich richtig, wenn ich annehme, dass T. batschii als Synonym für T. fracticum geführt wird?

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I am new to these two species but in Flora Agaracina Neerlandica, fracticum is a synonym of batschii. However I am consulting an old reference.

Treated as synonyms by Noordeloos and Christensen in FAN Vol.4

Dear Ingo, thanks for your feedback.

That is also a possibility. If I learn what is the difference between the two (must be very small), I could maybe decide which of the two options - T. fracticum / T. batschii my finding is for a full determination. I see if I find some key in my old books, perhaps Flora Agaricina Neerlandica is helpful. I remember the odour was somewhat like ginger-lemony (a bit on the pleasent/aromatic side). Taste sour if I remember.

Many thanks

LG

Steve

Dear friends,

Sorry for not posting so much lately, but mushrooms and Malta are not friends anymore - it is not raining abundantly.

Anyway, I have found something exciting a week ago, a brown Tricholoma species, with crumbling flesh and gills (like a Russula) and a remnant ring, just a wrinkle impressed around the stipe (like a Cortinarius) but it is indeed a Tricholoma with pip-shaped spores just 5um long. Only one specimen, oldish, 2-3m away from a Pine tree in calcareous limestone-rich soil.

Are there other species to consider and look alike my finding. I have a specimen if I need t make further observations (Pileipellis? Cystidia?)

Thank you in advance

LG

Steve.

After some research I shortlisted it to Tricholoma batschii.

Thank you xxx

Hello, I have found small clusters of this beautiful Coprinellus with pure white veil remnants made of globular hyphae. Stipe has some pruinosity fine short fibrillose hairs. Spores seem shield-shape for me with the dimensions of Me = 9.7 × 6.5 µm ; Qe = 1.5 ; Ve = 218 µm3. Pleurocystida present, large, Cheilocystidia covering the entire gill edge. I think it is Coprinellus micaceus , opinions?

Badhamia panicea is another option, but does this has a yellow stipe, or it can be dark too ?

Thema

Badhamia panicea

Hallo zusammen,

ich möchte euch hier einen Fund vom 09.04.2020 zeigen, den ich an der Rinde eines stehenden Ahorns finden konnte.
Bestätigt wurde mir der Fund von Andreas Kuhnt.
Hier sind die Bilder:
1.0
pilzforum.eu/attachment/313370/

1.1
pilzforum.eu/attachment/313372/

1.2
pilzforum.eu/attachment/313371/

1.3
pilzforum.eu/attachment/313369/

VG : Thorben

thorben96

30. April 2020

Reposting here (I think I was in the wrong place)

A nice clump of lime-covered sporocarps, 0.8-1.1mm long with a very short grayish stalk (like the extension of the hypothallamus) but sometimes 'distinct' (under the microscope) at 0.25 mm max length. The sporocarps are generally subspherical, sometimes prolate, but often peanut-shaped as if 2 spherical bodies are merged into one, 0.7-0.8 mm across (but up to 1.3 mm if they are the merged form).

In my opinion the capilittum is badhamoid type composed of lime tubular network with a few, short interconnecting threads (usually absent) and an assembly of boomerang, Y-shaped or W-shaped units with an irregular outline rather constant in thickness, except at some joints and constrictions along.

The spores are quite distinct: Spherical, 12.8-14.9 um diameter, densely spinulose-verrucose, showing small ridges, sometimes as forming isolated polygonal or tetrahedral raised scales, about one-fourth / one-third of the spore surface area, sometimes these scales are smaller and more frequent, forming an appearance of a soccer ball. Some areas below these ridges are light-colored, These were observed in water with slight addition of soap to break the water tension (saying this in case it makes a difference)

The keys of poulain/Meyer/Bozonnet takes me to Badhamia lilacina but it doesn't look alike it. Picture-wise it is more like B. macrocarpa but the spores are without ridges or B. goniospora

N.b. In case I made a mistake in mounting spores in soapy water, I carried out a mount in water and seems that the spores are in clusters (an elemental character in the badhamia identification key). In water the spores retained that elevated scale-like platform or plateau character, hence i don't think it is an artifact.

Stiff long brown hairs with a bulbous base in the pileipellis were observed. This should confirm Parasola conopilea

Zitat von Schrumz

Hi Steve,

Im not great with this genus but they look a bit weird for Panaeolus to me. I think I would also consider Psathyrella depending on the substrate.

Best wishes

You was on the right track

Ah yes you are probably correct and this species is already recorded. I will check it Saturday

Here is an example from Malta in Nov 2017

Here are finally the macro which should correspond to a P anaeolus sp. but then I don't know for sure still. Maybe a Panaeolus papilionaceus var. papilionaceus but I never saw it this dark brown color and the habitat of that species is usually lawns and grassy patches.

Measurements:

Cheilocystidia

38 x 15 um

34.45 11.64

36.15 15.73

27.58 13.90

40.58 16.03

29.76 15.84

32.83 12.27

(27.6) 29.8 - 36.2 (40.6) × (11.6) 12.3 - 15.8 (16) µm

Q = (1.9) 2 - 2.7 (3) ; N = 6

Me = 33.6 × 14.2 µm; Qe = 2.4

---------------------

Spores:

(12.1) 13.6 - 15.7 (16.2) × (7.6) 7.8 - 9.2 (9.5) µm

Q = (1.5) 1.6 - 1.9 (2.1) ; N = 41

Me = 14.8 × 8.4 µm; Qe = 1.8

I confirm Leocarpus fragilis - I seen this in Finland! Very photogenic species.

There was a very mild (or negligible) colour change with 5% and 10% KOH on the cap, but the sample is now 3 days old (but should still work).

I do not have the other Aniline and Nitric Acid (what concentration the acid should be ? )

I found fruiting bodies of Agaricus sp. on leaf litter and twigs below Pomegranate trees in a shaded and humid place. Slicing or bruising did not produce any significant colour change. The scent was interesting as it was slightly foetid (like millipedes) and I am usually used to scents of anise, ink, mealy, or good-scented mushroom scents with Agaricus sp. The ring was not well developed. The spore print was moderate brown (not dark) like, milk-chocolate. The spores were small with an eccentric apiculum. The cheilocystidia were hard to see, and if what I seen are Cheilocystida, they were clavate with large vacuoles. Basidia 2- 3- and 4- sporous. Under the stereomicroscope I saw glistening white elements on the sides of the lamella which may be pleurocystidia.

Spore size:

(6.4) 6.6 - 7.6 (8.1) × (4.9) 5.2 - 5.9 (6.1) µm

Q = (1.1) 1.2 - 1.36 (1.4) ; N = 36

Me = 7.1 × 5.5 µm; Qe = 1.3

Dear Marcel,

Yes I do and I also have dried herbarium. That species passed from my mind, but i can't see the ring or belt! I can provide photos of the spores or anything required. I hoped it was an easy one that can be told from the macrophotos

Thank you, Shrumz, I went on Panaeolus for the dark gills with a white edge. Unless this is again Psathyrella panaoeloides (but I never seen that so dark like this).

Dear friends, can you help with this beautiful slender mushroom. At first I thought it is a Conocybe but then I saw the white-edged gills hence it must be a Panaeolus sp. It was growing on detritus (leaf litter) or broad-leaf trees (Pomegranates)