Another grey morning - in fact it has started to rain. This rather splendid toadstool is in my lawn under the pines. Does anybody have any idea what it might be? The gills are white and quite deep
Thursday, 20 May 2010
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It looks like a Russula, several of which have reddish caps and white gills. However, none of them have a membraneous ring round the stem which this one appears to have. Could you check if this is so. If it does have a ring, then it is similar, but not identical, to Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) but this doesn't normally appear until late summer. As it is halucigenic, you could test it, I suppose! Although poisonous, it is apparently rarely fatal!
ReplyDeleteMalcolm
Very definite membranous ring. The cap is mid-brown rather than reddish however, with a paler edge. The surface is covered in small roughly circular pale brown shallow pits. The stem is rough. Its not fly agaric...
ReplyDeleteThe combination of a ring, brown top, white gills and appearing in May ought to make identification fairly straightforward, but I can't find a match in either of two books (Roger Phillips and Michael Jordan). I'll lend them to you to have a look for yourself with the specimen to hand!
ReplyDeleteMalcolm
I know I'm a bit late in adding this, but the experts say this is Amanita rubescens.
ReplyDeleteBecky