How to Identify Mushrooms to Genus I: Macroscopic Features

92 Pages·1986·36.655 MB·English

by  David L. Largent, Daniel E. Stuntz

HOW TO IDENTIFY
MUSHROOMS
TO GENUS I:
1
i
Macroscopic Features
I
I
BY DAVID L. LARGENT
illustrations by Sharon Hadley
Key by Daniel E. Stuntz

To my wife, Pamela.
David L. Largent Sharon Hadley Daniel E. Stuntz
Biology Departrnent P.O. Box 121 Botany Departrnent
Humboldt State University Paisley, Oregon University of Washington
Arcata, California 95521 97636 Seattle, Washington 98195
David L. Largpnt
@
1986 David L Largent
@
Rellsed Edition
Published by Mad River Press, Inc.
Route 2, Box 151 B
Eureka, C4 95501
Printed by Eureka Printing Co., Inc.
106 T Street
Eureka, C4 95501
ISBN 0-916 -422-00-3

TABLE OF CONTENTS
...............................................
List of Plates 2
..............................................
List of Figures 3
....................................................
Preface 4
...............................................
Inuoduction 7
........................................
How to Use this Book 9
. ...............
I Put One: Macroscopic Features of the Basidiocarp 10
. ..........................................
A Measurements 10
. .................................................
B Color 10
..................................
C Characters of the Pileus 11
.................................................
1. Size 11
. ...............................................
2 Shape 11
...............................................
3. Color 15
. ..............................................
4 Margin 16
. ..............................................
5 Surface 20
. ...............................................
6 Flãh 27
. ...............................................
7 Lata 28
...................................
D. Characters of Lamellae 28
. ..........................................
1 Attachment 28
. .............................................
2 Spaang 29
. .....................................
3 Relative thickness 31
. ................................
4 Color and color changes 31
..............................................
5. Margin 31
.............................................
6. Gil1 face 33
.........................................
7. Edge-onview 33
...................................
E. Characters of the Stipe 34
.................................................
1. Size 34
. ..........................................
2 Attachment 34
. ........................................
3 Shape 36
........................................
4 . Surface 39
. ................................
5 Color and color changes 39
..........................................
6. Consistency 41
.........................................
7. Flãhof stipe 41
..............................
8. Prãence or absence of veils 41
..........................................
F. Growth Habit 45
.........................
G. Type of Fruiting Body -1ttachment 45
..........................................
H . Spore Color 48
.....................
I. Guidelines for safe Mushroom Collecting 49
. ...................................
LI Part Two: Stature Types 51
iii .P ut Thm: Generic Identification by Stature Type ............... 60
.
IV Part Fom . Key to genera of Mushrooms using only Maaoscopic
.......................................
Features, ti5
. .............................
V Part Fivc: Generic Desaiptions 79
..........................
Comparison of Hcbeloma and Inocybe 97
........................
Comparison of Omphalina and Mycma 111
...
Comparison of Psilocybe. Stropharia. Panaeolus. and Psathyrella 119
................................
hlushrooms with Waxy Gills 126
........................................
Index and Glosq 128
...........................................
Literature Cited 166

LIST OF PLATES LIST OF FIGURES
Plate 1.Pileal Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Plate 2 . Depressed & Umbonate Pilei . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 1. Development of Amanita.. .fro.m. b.u.tt.on. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PPilaattee 43 .. PPiilleeaall MMaarrggiinn s( s.ur.fa.ce. v.ie.w.) . ............................ 1198 2.. t Boa msiadtiuorsep ofrruesit vin.r g.. Ab.orcd.oys .po.re.s. ................................... 9 8
Piate 5. Pileal Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 3 Rleal Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . 1157
.
Plate 6 . Pileal Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 4. Shape of Pileal Mar.&. .(u.rf.ac.e. v.iew.). . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Plate 7. Gil1 Attachment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 5. Spacing of GiUs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 . . . . . . . 29
Piate 8. Gil1 Margin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 6 . Inserted Stipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4368
PMPPPlillaaaaattttteeeee 111119302. ... . P SSSSoutttiiisrpppfiteeeai c oSSAenhh t aaatotappf ct eehAh me..n nSe..nutitl..p ues.. A...p....e.x... ............................................................................... 4433320587 1178901 .. .. T ZDDFyoreoepncueeeub dsrGl re oeiV lfAnl ostFn l ovGrnfuau i iPllTtluilsynus op gtoefi cufBC asAol l cdgioteyaofr r cvAAiycinmubttuseaa s can hv.imetal..le amn..ntue ..siac...albr...aia ... ..... ..... ..... ..... .............................. 5555526488
. 12. Lacunose Stipe of Helvella lacunosa
Rate 14 Types of Partia1 Veils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
44
Piate 15. Types of Universal Veils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
44
Plate 16. Types of Volvas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Plate 17. Sporocarp Attachment & Shape . . . . . . . . . . . .4 7
Piate 18. Stature Types with Free
or Finely Attached Gills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
.
Plate 19 Sature Types with Attached
Gills & a Fleshy-fibrous Stipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Piate 20 .S tature Types with Attached Gills
& a Cartilaginous Stipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 7
Rate 21 . Stature Types with an Eccentric or
Laterally Attached Stipe or Without a Stipe . . . . . . . . .5 9

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
ietters.
I want to especially acknowledge my partner in this crime, Sharon Hadley,
For the past five yean I have been teaching a course on fleshy fungi through who did Lhe drawings for this book. I have never met a more bnght and cheerful
the Extension School of Caiifomia State University, Humboldt. The most com- person, nor a more broadly knowledgeable amateur naturalist.
mon question asked of me by students, amateur mycologists, or casual observers Finally, I wish to dedicate this book to my wife Pamela. I thank her for her
is, constant companionship at home and in the field, for her help in typing, and for
"How do you te11 poisonous from edible mushrooms?" just being herself. She made this book possible.
The only way to te11 edible from non-edible mushrooms is to know what the
David L. Largent
name of the mushroom is, then lmk up this in a reference book to see if it has
Eureka, California
been safely eaten before.
October, 1973
Then are a number of good reference books on mushrooms. Some of them
. . .
are
Lange &Hora A Cuide to Mushrooms and Toadstools
,
O. K. MUer Mushrooms of North America
Srni th
7Xe Mushroom Hunter s' Field Guide
Stuntz 7he Sairory Wild Mushroom PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION
A11 of these contain pictures and short descriptions of the most commonly
This book has now been used by various agaricologts, amateun and profes-
encountered flesh-y fung.
" sionals alike, for three and one half yearr. It has been reprinted fve times and
But an important omission in ali of these reference books is a complete,
has received numerous positive comments; therefore it appean to have achieved
well-iilustrated portion explaining the fundamental features that a professional
its purpose. I am extremely grateful for that and would like to take this space to
mycologin uses to name (identify) fieshy fungi. The best available source of
thank everyone who has found this book useful.
information on features used to identiG fungi is Aiexander H. Smith's Mush-
I would like to acknowledge more specifically the contributions of Dr. Daniel
rooms in their N~nimHl abitats. It contains chapten on macroscopic and micro-
E. Stuntz. Not only did I copy the concept of habir ryp from him but I also
scopic characteristics but is difficult to use.
- used his keys. These parts of this book should be attributed more to his know-
'lhe purpose of this bmk ir to teach the reader how to identify mushrooms
ledge and efforts than to mine. Furthermore I would like to take this opportun-
using only mmscopic features of the fruiting body. Macroscopic features, or
ity to say that I consider him to be one of the most outstanding human beingr 1
those that can be seen with the naked eye, require no special equipment and are
have ever met. Stand proud Daniel E. Stuntz, you have every right to do so.
thus useful for everyone. included at the end of this manual ir a key to many of
The information contained within this edition is basically the same as the first
the mushroom genera using only the macroscopic characten herein described. A
edition except for grammatical errors and a few technical changes (such as the
second volume is planned to follow that wiil deal with microscopic features.
use of Naucorioid and Annellarioid, for example) which were gratefully made by
This book began as a rnimeogaphed, non-Ulustrated list of features used in
Roy Watling. Not only did he make them once, but twice; it seems I mislaid the
nlushroom identification put together by Hamet Peters (now Harriet Burge) and
~nyselfi n 1961. At that time we were both studying under h.H . D. Thien of fint changes. So, Roy, piease accept my thanks as weli as my apologies.
I fail'ed to give aarlie Bro\vn his due in the fint edition of this book. Severa1
San Francisco State College. The mimmgraphed lists have since been revised and
of the drawings were his: Plate 12, Fig. A;Plate 15, Figr. A, B;Plate 16, Fig. C;
enlarged by Dr. Thien and myself inourrespective courses in the study of fungi.
I would like to here acknowiedge and èxpress my gratitude to h. Thiers for as well as Figures 8 and 9. Ali the other drawingr were done by Sharon Hadley
introducing me to the world of fungi and for his patience and encouragement in who has received LLsuper-kudos"f rom everyone. If anyone wants to contact
teaching me so much about this area that has become my major professional Sharon, she can be reached at the following addreu: P. O. Box 121, Paisley,
interest. Oregon. 97636. Write her; she will be delighted.
Finally I wish to rededicate this book to my wife, Pamela. My life has become
The concept of habit type (srouping ~nuslirooiiisw ith siiiiilar features) is used
by Dr. Daniel E. Stuntz in his tutorioe of tIiousands of aiiiateur mushroom delightfully calm since I married her in 1970. Everyone should be lucky enough
to find their Pamela. Thanks Pam, I love you.
Iiunters througliout the Pacitii Northivest. I was fortunate enough to also liave
studied under Dr. Stuntz. and arn very pteful to hiiii for fostering niy iliterests David L. Largent
and for çontinuing to direct nly eduiatioii in tlie fuiigi. l ai11 furtlier indebted to Eureka, California
the Pugt Sound Nycolo@crl Socieiy. wliose scientilic advisor is Dr. Stuntz, July, 1977
since the idea for the section of this book on "How to Collect Mushroosis" (pp
49-50) resulted from their summary of a siniilir article in one of tlieir iiews-