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Newbie with a Matsutake?


dabrabe

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Hi everyone,

I am new to the forum. I have been mushroom hunting for about 10 years, but I do not have a large repertoire. I usually add one or two types of mushrooms per year to the portfolio of edibles that I know and am comfortable with. This year, I am hoping it is a matsutake. I stumbled onto this guy on a hike this week. It was in mixed hardwood/softwood forest, under mostly pines in sandy soils. It was on a banking by a 4WD road. It smells really good,, but not as strong as the descriptions suggest. Sort of earthy and spicy. The smell actually reminds me of a deer or a boar. Spore print was sort of cream colored. Is the little one was growing almost under the cap of the large one. The large one that is on the 2 pieces of paper (waiting for spore print) is the one pictured in the wild. I went back the next day and picked it. The little one opened after I picked it.

I have never picked or seen a matsutake and I have nobody around here to ask.

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I don't know anything about Matsutake. I have never attempted to collect them. When Dave stops by, he can probably render you some help. I just wanted to welcome you aboard. The slow approach is a good one. I try to learn about two to three per year myself. It doesn't take too long before you have most of the good edibles in your area covered.

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Thanks Dakotabob.

I should also mention that I am in northeastern Massachusetts. Essex county. It has been unseasonably cool lately, so I am wondering if the Septembery weather might make the mushrooms show early.

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Matsutake (Tricholoma magnivelare) is collected in parts of New England, mainly in areas with hemlock. I have never found it here in PA... or anywhere else.

When I look at these excellent photos, several things stand out in my mind.

First, the cap surface features raise pyramidal warts. This is a feature that I associate with Amanita species from section Lepidella. These include some dangerously poisonous types. White Matsutake has cap surface with flattened brownish fibers/scales. But the stalk bases seen here do not show bulbs, another feature associated with Amanita sect. Lepidella. Were these mushrooms sliced off at ground level?

The double-layered veil is quite interesting. Catathelasma ventricosum, similar to Matsuatke, is reported from northeast NA. This species has a double ring, but the hairy ring is the one above the membranous ring. The larger mushroom seen here has the ring types in the reverse order. Also, the raised warts on the cap do not fit in with Catathelasma ventricosum.

I do not recognize this mushroom species. But my guess it it represents a species of Amanita sect. Lepidella. Some types of mushrooms in this group are associated with notable odors.

Very interesting dabrabe! You should post these on Mushroom Observer.

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Thanks for the info Dave W. To answer your question, I did not slice them off at ground level as I have heard Matsutakes are traditionally sold/given with dirt attached. Figuring it was for a reason, I dug down and cut them below the ground. Not much of a root system and pretty comical in shape.

The pics were just from an old iPhone.

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do you have a better picture of the gills and veil of the first two mushrooms? does the flesh bruise? odor? they almost look like common bisporus, but this is too difficult to tell with only pictures.

matsutake up here usually has more color variation, brown bruising if you will.

i agree with dave about the second one being on amanita. it looks similar to rhopalopus which is very common up here in the northeast.....but i've never seen one with rings like that.....so it's probably not rhopalopus.

by the way, i live up in derry, nh. probably like 20 minutes from you. i'm not sure how far from lawrence you are, but right near that pemberton park, in the very narrow band of trees along the shore has been very good for wild edible mushrooms for me in the past. all along the merrimack is pretty good when there's enough trees. also, i haven't been out there in years but pawtuckaway st park in raymond, nh is another location in the general area that can be quite plentiful. especially if you can make your way out to some of those little islands. only place in the immediate where i've found good numbers of boletus edulis.....strange but true!

the rain has stopped now time to head to work.

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Amanita sect. Lepidella appears to be a correct classification. The species A. polypramis looks promising. The stalk does not have a rooting base on this type... a bit unusual for a Lepidella. But the stringy underside to the partial veil is really interesting. Nice work, dabrabe.

http://mushroomobserver.org/174888?q=29O6q

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