Please help

[rigbert]

Firstly I need to say theres so much information here Im feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Kinda wanted to try out my macro lense as well and figured this was a good place to try.

I found these at work and wanted to find out what they were.

I couldnt take a photo of the locale of these without raising suspicion, had to tell people I was looking for something I dropped as it was.

If anyone needs I can give a pretty detailed description of the area but it was a planted eucalyptus area with alot of leafy cover, pretty shaded and pretty well irrigated.

Im currently trying to take a spore print but to me there is no spores under there,

Am I correct?

Also for a mushroom to be psychoactive do they always have to turn blue when they suffer trauma?

Sorry if im asking to many questions when they have obviously been asked someplace in this forum already.

Its just that theres a few forums on here that mention the season is very short and I probably dont have time to read them all before the season is over.

Well thanks for taking the time to help out a new guy,

[genki]

how did you go about trying to take a spore print? you should be doing something along these lines:

separate the cap from the stem

place cap gills down on a piece of white paper/glass (if you suspect that the mushroom has white spores use black paper)

cover with a glass, mug or small bowl to minimise airflow and prevent the cap from drying out too much (dry caps don't drop spores)

leave for 6-12 hours

[genki]

forgot to add definitely not active. in my experience subs always bruise blue, the blueing might be faint or take a long time in older drier specimens but in these cases there is usually some minor blueing already present around the edge of the cap/on the gills.

[rigbert]

Thanks alot for that,

Ive attempted to take the spore print like you described,

I havent checked it today, ill check it when Im home tonight,

However I did use white paper instead of black which im guessing you would recommend for this type of mushroom?

Is there another forum you guys recommend that I spend a bit of time on as well?

[genki]

check out the shroomery

[Zen Peddler]

the image colours are a little off, but I would say at first thought - Marasmius ordeas - one of my favourite mushrooms. The distant gills seem spot on - spore print would be white. Its that or something similar.

[mutant]

My bet would be Laccaria laccata or something similar, I pick it for table and it's pretty good even though many people don't pick it [propably afraid, and rightfully so] . It is definately not a mushrooms to be picked by beginers

Definately not Marasmius because it lacks white gills...

[Zen Peddler]

Ill bet you a six pack that it is Marasmius oreades LOL

Masamius ordeas Ive found in Australia have gills of that colour - white spores, but lightish boney white gills with that distant gill shape.

http://fungimap.rbg.vic.gov.au/fsp/photos/sp031.jpg

In older specimens Id expect that edge to get all sloppy.

THis one is similar to:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FNexiqjHNR0/Rrom...Oreades+01B.jpg

On the other hand, Laccaria laccata is reddish in colour, does not have as distant gills, which are generally also dark brownish red and lastly it has a dark stem with an annular ring - none of these characteristics are found in this mushroom collection.

Edited September 6, 2009 by Zen Peddler BlueGreenie

[mutant]

It's on, but since I am not in oz, you will have to send me some gift, seeds or something when I convince you you're wrong...

The mushroom photos you found sure do look like the one in question.. but there are distict differences... The whole mushroom [laccaria] is of the same colour. And if you notice, the flesh is also of the same colour, reddish/orange/rusty. the gills are the same colour too, so no whitish, boney or whatever, plain orange/reddish/brown . Marasmius is neither uniform in colours nor so reddish... and especially not reddish in the gills... I was thinking , hey, he might be right, because the marasmius pics you found do look a lot like the specimen in question, but then I noticed the flesh in the cut mushroom shot and was even more sure about my guess. Did you take a look at different laccaria laccata [aka the deceiver ;)] photos or just marasmius??

Maybe if our friend rigbert could post more photos of it??? Still I am sure I can convince you that laccaria is more likely...

I pick and eat Laccaria laccata, I have come to know why they call it the deceiver, but it's pretty easy to me to ID it now...especially if I see the underside of the cap...

is the bet on???

[Zen Peddler]

COme on mate, you know im right!! LOL.

[mutant]

You are dodging the question Is the bet on?

[Zen Peddler]

What we got ourselves here is a cock measuren' competition... You know im write but wont budge,,,

[SayN]

i'm backing the zen peddler. marasmius +1.

[mutant]

+1 is no argument. My unanswered arguements [gill colour and flesh colour] suggest that Laccaria is more propable. Marasmius oreades has whitey or creamy gills.

[Evil Genius]

Hi Guys, it´s definately a though one! Both are very variable in apearance! But i think that it´s Laccaria laccata because its known that it it heavily loses color during the aging process! Both mushrooms look very similar but its more likely to me that it lost some color during the aging process than the other way round. Another argument for Laccaria is the lack of the bright gills and the lack of the frame/verge on this mushroom! Its a critical point for differentiating those two mushrooms! bye Eg

Edited December 7, 2009 by Evil Genius