mycelle's Favorites

On a very humid pine forest clearing.
Evident chryrocystidia.
Spore measures:
(12.3) 13 - 14.7 (15.6) × (6.7) 7.2 - 8.5 (8.7) µm
Q = (1.6) 1.7 - 1.85 (1.9) ; N = 30
Me = 13.7 × 7.8 µm ; Qe = 1.8

I didn't take photos of the hymenium but it was in a bigger collection of this species, in a place I usually find them on Eucalyptus wood. I uploaded this observation due to the interesting thing it is growing from, an Eucalyptus seed pod.
Other observations from the same place:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/105088916
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/39334412

Substrate of rich humus and sandy soil on river bank prone to flooding. Native sub-tropical rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest.
Growing singularly and spread out.
Largest specimen 6cm tall and 3.5cm pileus.
Prominently textured stipe.
Apparent blue bruising.
Local temp recently 16-23C

These two pictures are the same mushroom, taken seven days apart.

All micrographs except the first one are of the gill edge showing cheilocystidia, micrograph numbers 6,8,10 and 11 show the distinct bifurcate or irregularly branched cheilocystidia common in this species, I was unable to locate any pleurocystidia on the gill surface.

The long flexuous neck of the cheilocystidia, up to 12.5microns long is also visible!

Photos by Inski

Two fb within meters of each other. Both on highly rotten wood under manuka / kanuka with celery tree present.

Think that I finally have cap hairs
Also maybe have a stem hair. Upon reflection, this stem hair isn't useful for diagnostics. Stem cystidia are what is required.

Unclamped joints, was not clamp like structures either

So not P similis - as this is clamped

Find the key full of jargon, and not easy to engage with. Think the following could be options, but would love some comment / input

Not P micorspermus as cap hairs / terminal cells are wrong
Not Pluteus readiarum either as these cap hairs are rounded
Discount P concentricus as cap looks very different
Not P hispidilacteus as cap size not 5-12mm
Not P decolarantus as cap size not 10 - 35 mm

P perroseus an option. Cap cells similar to this obs

Also I think this holds " P. perroseus has very pink gills typically with a fine dark edge .... and a distinctive stalk - fibrous rather than pruinose. (P. readiarum has a pruinose stalk)."

This obs does have a fine dark edge on the gill .The gills were water logged, and I also dropped the fb of the wood it was fruiting from damaging some. But that all said do think they are pink colored.

The stalk, have mico cross section, and did notice that the stem was more cobweb like, rather than 'normal' pluteus whatever that is.

Also similar cap cells, to this obs

Commonly called "blue ringers" based on the blue green persistent veil on stems. Largest specimen in this caespitose cluster is a prime example. Fruiting in grass and bark mulch along a public path.

This is the type collection of Psilocybe laurae.

Found in a mesophilic forest along the road from San Sebastian to El Bufo, 5 kilometers from San Sebastian.

I did not observe any pleurocystidia, however Alonso was studying the same collection next to me and he found several. He did not observe any of the long necked pleurocystidia which are depicted in the Psilocybe laurae species description.

All micrographs except the ones labeled “Spores 1000x” were stained with congo red.

In this species, both the pleurocystidia and cheilocystidia absorb much more congo red at the apex of the cystidia. Basidioles absorb congo red uniformly throughout the whole cell. Without congo red, it can be challenging to separate pleurocystidia from basidioles.

Substrate: in soil

Habitat: High-elevation oak cloud forest

Ecoregion: Talamanca Montane Forests (NA0167)

Collector(s): G. Mueller

Collection #: ? (saved by Dr. Greg Mueller)

Collected for the 2016 Organization for Tropical Studies “Fungi and Fungus-Like Organisms” Course

Fruiting in a council garden. But appeared to be next to a native shrub-tree / council planted tree. I assumed as some were right next to the larger roots and others not far away, that they were eating the root system.

There wasn't much bark left from the council mulch and mulch hasn't been updated in a number of years. So this also points to feeding on other food sources.

Definitely secticod, but don't know if P weraroa, or a secticod presentation of another species.

cap 4mm to 2cm. convex, flattening, rugulose (phlebous), nearly black with an olivaceous hue and dark band around edge. Not especially hygrophanous. Stem 1.5-5.5cm x 1.5mm longitidinally striate, with white mycelia covering towards base, brown vinaceous, especially towards base. Gills black, with white speckling (Panaeolus -like), with white edge, no yellow sticky drops. Spore print black. 4-spored. Spores with germ pore 8.5-9 x 4-5um. Pellis an epithelioid hymeniderm of dark cells. No chrysocystidia. Cheilocystidia with slightly enalrged head. Clearly this is the Australian P. fimbriatus. New record for NZ. This species has been incorrectly recombined into psathyrella.