Large fruiting beneath Sitka Spruce and Western hemlock. A few specimens fruiting directly on heavily rotted/myceliated wood.
Cap: rubbery, gelatinous quality with suede like/kid leather texture. Staining heavily where handled.
Odor: pungently fishy, burnt rubber/pencil eraser.
Harvested a single young specimen. Sliced off 1/3 of cap and dehydrated sample/bagged for herbarium collection/genetic record.
My corresponding Mushroomobserver observation linked below-
Single small fruiting in mossy soil beneath Sitka Spruce and Western hemlock.
Gills: broad/widely spaced, deeply decurrent. Gills stained blackish gray(due to blackish spore drop).
Cap/stem: coated in cottony flocculent shags.
Harvested specimen and dehydrated thoroughly for my herbarium collection/genetic record.
My corresponding Mushroomobserver observation below-
Two very robust young fruiting bodies(large for this species) in soil beneath Western Hemlock and Sitka Spruce.
Harvested both specimens.
Sliced specimens in half to show context in work up at home. Dehydrated the larger bisected specimen and bagged for my herbarium collection/genetic record.
My corresponding Mushroomobserver observation linked below-
Multiple young fruiting bodies in soil beneath Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock.
Harvested multiple specimens for culinary use.
I sliced off portions of two caps and dehydrated/bagged for my fungal herbarium collection/genetic record.
My corresponding Mushroomobserver observation linked below-
Very large/mature dinner plate sized fruiting body in mossy soil beneath Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock.
Cap: very broad, thin in relation to central stem. Cap radially streaked dark grayish.
Stem: centrally attached, ventricose in shape(tapering at base and at apex).
Pore Surface: very thin, rock hard, pure white. Pores round to ovoid/elongated.
Odor: like wet dog or animal fur.
Taste: slightly bitter/metallic.
Habitat/tree association and overall morphology matches well for Boletopsis “PNW01” nom prov.
I Harvested entire specimen and cut into strips(Like I do with Ganoderma oregonense).
Dehydrated all strips until cracker crisp for later medicinal use(stored in a repurposed sea salt jar). Dried material has a strong grape seed flavor and makes for interesting seasoning on fish).
Bagged 4 small dehydrated pieces for my herbarium collection/genetic record with this observation.
My corresponding Mushroomobserver observation linked below-
I labeled herbarium bag Russula “laurocerasi”: R. grata is synonym.
A very fragrant Russula beneath Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock.
Odor: pungent maraschino Cherry/almond odor. Cherry magic marker odor.
Stains heavily throughout where handled.
Sliced cap in half and harvested 1/2 cap.
Dehydrated harvested portion of cap and dehydrated thoroughly for my herbarium collection/genetic record.
My corresponding Mushroomobserver observation linked below-
Fruiting on a well myceliated conifer branch. Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock dominant canopy.
Freshest wood completely and delightfully stained deep blue from mycelium.
Cups: uniformly round, thick equal cup margins. Paler in center of cup/interior.
Stem: centrally attached with all fruiting bodies. Not connected on sides or irregularly like aeruginascens usually is.
Harvested entire piece of infected branch(I have a woodworking friend who I plan to gift the blue stained wood for him to create inlays).
Removed multiple specimens from wood upon arriving home and wrapped in a paper towel for dehydration overnight.
MICROSCOPY:
I removed a single cup and performed a crush mount on a glass slide in 3% KOH.
Spores: long, fusiform with a single oil droplet at each end/tips.
Paraphyses: mostly equal with a few having slightly swollen, clavate tips. Long.
Asci: 8 spored.
Dehydrated all specimens in folded paper towel in my herbarium bag/genetic record.
My corresponding Mushroomobserver observation linked below-
Growing out of moss and soil on road verge through conifer forest. Last photo showing opening was take two days later. Diameter est. 2-3 cm. Possibly instead L. nigrescens.
Common C. Subalbidus patch. ~80 year old Doug fir. Mixed salal, moss, & fern undergrowth. Frequently find melongaster and Elaphomyces near this fruiting.
I rather massacred this thing while trying to get it out. Was hoping for a cleaner specimen and better pictures