zosoman88 Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 I found this yesterday in a conifer forest in the Pacific Northwest. It was mostly buried and has a very strong smell like cinnamon and feet. Its gills are not attached to the stem. Is this a matsutake? Thanks for any help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedric Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 Not 100% sure but this looks similar to Paxillus Involitus. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zosoman88 Posted September 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 I don't think so because the gills aren't attached. Here's a closer view of them. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 I think this is some type of white-spored mushroom; I doubt Paxillus. Looks like there may be a small remnant of a veil connecting the cap margin to the stem (first photo). The gills look too ragged and widely spaced for Matsutake (Tricholoma magnivelare). Also, Matsutake should have a flaring ring on the stalk. I don't know the PNW mushrooms very well. I checked some sources for Catathelasma species, but those all seem to have decurrent gills and flaring rings. Maybe this is one of the types I just mentioned... but not a normally developed specimen. Sometimes gills that are attached to the stem break/pull away from the stem. And a ring on an old specimen may erode or become appressed to the stalk. I'm pretty much stumped by this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zosoman88 Posted September 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 I sliced a piece off the cap, added a few pics of the inside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 The gills in cross-section look thick and waxy, which points toward Hygrophorus. But I know of no Hygrophorus species that features a membraneous partial veil. There are a few with fleeting cortinate veil, but the one seen here appears to feature a mebraneous veil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vitog Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 This specimen looks like it could be a fairly old Matsutake, with the ring rubbed off. The strong aroma points to that possibility, but I don't know how to describe the smell. To me it's unmistakable, but I don't know anything else that has a similar aroma. Another characteristic is a hard, tough stem, unless it's riddled with worm holes. What kind of trees were closest to this find? It's called the pine mushroom, but I find them associated with Douglas-Firs primarily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zosoman88 Posted September 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 Mostly pine, but there were a fair number of scattered doulas firs too. Oh and I cut it all the way open Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feral Boy Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 I've never seen matsutake, living in the midwest, but the smell seems compelling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vitog Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 A sure way to identify it is to go to the Pike Place Market in Seattle and find Matsutakes for sale. One sniff will tell you if you have one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedric Posted September 20, 2014 Report Share Posted September 20, 2014 Yup, sorry. Not paxillus. I got off track with the first pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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