ID for Victorian Species

[debussy]

Hey guys, am wondering whether anyone could possibly ID this species. Mushrooming is a fairly new hobby of mine so a little bit inexperienced with this. I thought what I found may have been some kind of field mushroom but i'm not so sure... Both mushrooms were quite large in size. One approximately 8cm in diameter, the other around 11cm. The stem seemed quite fibrous-like...Underneath the cap, dark brown/purple. A partial ring on the upper part of the stem.

Edited May 12, 2015 by debussy

[Anodyne]

Hello, welcome to the forum!

Sorry I can't help with the ID, maybe someone more experienced can, but I can give some general tips that may help:

*take note of where they're growing, and particularly any nearby trees, as fungi often have some kind of relationship with certain species - eg. eucalypt, pine, other "exotics" (i.e. introduced stuff like oak trees) - and we often can't see this kind of thing in photos. If they're growing in dung, see if you can tell what kind (yes, seriously - different fungi grow in cowshit vs. horseshit)

*make a note if the mushroom stains (blue, yellow, red, etc) when cut or bruised. Also take a whiff - does it have a nice earthy "mushroom" smell? Or maybe it smells like playdough, or aniseed, or betadine - these are all distinguishing features that can help an ID.

*try to find healthy undamaged specimens for ID purposes (& most other purposes, for that matter). Mature is best so you can check out the spores, but if they're at the overripe stage where they're drying out, rotting, &/or critter have been nibbling at them, visual ID can be difficult if not impossible. Get photos of all stages of growth if you can, so you can see if the younger ones have a veil or "egg" type structure, and whether the old ones "auto-digest" or just dry out.

*for ID purposes, make sure your photos are in focus, in good light, and in realistic colour. Try to get a look at the base of the stem if you can. ID can sometimes be straightforward, but other times it hinges on subtle details.

OK, that's just a few things off the top of my head, a mushroom hunting book or website will have better advice. They often have keys where you can run down the exact species, though you may need stains & microscope for some steps, they can still sometimes be useful without this stuff. There were some really good books specifically for Victoria from memory, you might be able to borrow them from the library or something? Or maybe see if you can make it to a SAB meet & find someone to go hunting with you? - it's very satisfying to ID your own, but nothing beats just walking around with someone who knows their shit & having them point out those little details. Good luck, and happy hunting!