Fungi ID Help Please (1 Viewer)

Hi All

Thought I would post a 'LAJ' (Little Apricot Job) for a change. Found this one last week and it has me mystified. It was pure chance that I found it, I was photographing another fungi at the time and in the process of moving a fairly large pine branch to make room for the tripod uncovered this robust little gem.

The habitat was at the edge of an area of conifers situated at the perimeter of a Beech wood, with a thick carpet of moss, it was growing hidden under a decaying fallen or felled pine branch amongst conifer debris.

Any suggestions as to possible genus more than welcome as usual.

Gerry

Details:-

Group of 2.
Cap dia.2cm
Stem ht.2cm
Stem.dia.7mm hollowing.
Flesh- pinkish to pale tan tint, very watery when cut.

I'm pretty sure it is a Lactarius, but it is not L. hepatica which is common with Pine. Beyond that I would not like to say.

Leif said:

I'm pretty sure it is a Lactarius, but it is not L. hepatica which is common with Pine. Beyond that I would not like to say.

Click to expand...

I agree with Leif that it is a Lactarius. I am a bit puzzled that it was only "watery" when cut. The rather pale Lactarius with very watery milk is L. serifluus, but it doesn't look quite right for that, and it is not a species of conifers.

From the general appearance and texture of the cap surface I feel fairly sure it is L. tabidus. This produces white milk (which turns yellow on a handkerchief, as traditionally demonstrated on almost every fungus foray - provided, in my case at least, the leader has remembered to take a clean handkerchief!). However, often the milk is quite sparse.

It is most usually with birch, but spruce is known as another host, and I see that the fallen needles around the fungus are, in fact spruce, not pine.

Now just a tiny piece of cap skin under a microscope and ....

Alan

Silver said:

I agree with Leif that it is a Lactarius. I am a bit puzzled that it was only "watery" when cut. The rather pale Lactarius with very watery milk is L. serifluus, but it doesn't look quite right for that, and it is not a species of conifers.

From the general appearance and texture of the cap surface I feel fairly sure it is L. tabidus. This produces white milk (which turns yellow on a handkerchief, as traditionally demonstrated on almost every fungus foray - provided, in my case at least, the leader has remembered to take a clean handkerchief!). However, often the milk is quite sparse.

It is most usually with birch, but spruce is known as another host, and I see that the fallen needles around the fungus are, in fact spruce, not pine.

Now just a tiny piece of cap skin under a microscope and ....

Alan

Click to expand...

Thanks Alan/Leif

Caught me by surprise this one and never thought to consider it might be a Lactarius Sp. As my teacher always used to say on my school report 'Could do better'.

After much deliberation and wading through the reference books have to agree with Alan that the most likely contender is a late appearance of L.tabidus.

Alan, You are absolutely right about the Spuce, I think they are Norway Spruce (Picea abies) given my limited knowledge of conifers wouldn't swear to it though. Was not aware of the association between L.tabidus and Spruce.

The habitat in question is an ancient Beech wood, areas as in this case were cleared many years ago and planted with Spruce. It seems to throw up a number of fungi I would not normally associate with conifers particularly at the margins. An example being Geastrum fimbriatum and G.triplex which grow in abundance with the conifers and which I would usually associate with deciduous trees, I have yet to find them growing in the nearby areas of long standing Beech. Can you throw any light on this subject?

Regards

Gerry

p.s. microscope on the shopping list in readiness for next season.