Specimen #14: Small Brown-Orange Mushroom

Figure 1: Aged pileus, fading toward the edges

Figure 2: flesh-colored gills

Name: Laccaria laccata, Lackluster Laccaria
Family: Tricholomataceae
Collection Date: September 11, 2011
Habitat: Under tree in a yard
Location: Warren, OH
Description: No annulus or volva.  Brown pileus and flesh-colored gills.
Collector: Taylor Summerfield

Key used: Arora, David, 1986. Mushrooms Demystified, 2nd Edition, Ten Speed Press, New York, New York.Key Steps: Key to the Major Groups of Fleshy Fungi
1. Spores produced on mother cells called basidia; fruiting body variously shaped (see pp.52-54)...Basidiomycotina, P.57


Key to Basidiomycetes:
1. Basidia and spores borne externally...2
2. Fruiting body not at first egglike with gelatinous interior, no slime covering fruiting body...Hymenomycetes, below

Key to Hymenomycetes:
1. No pores or tube mouths on underside of cap...3
3. Underside of cap radiating blades (gills)...Agaricales, below

Key to the Agaricales:
1. Spore frocibly discharged, hence a spore print obtainable...2
2. Spore print lilac tinged...3
3. No volva or warts...4
4. Veil absent...6
6. Gills usually platelike or bladelike...7
7. Gills not exuding a latex when broken...8
8. Fruiting body not rigid...9
9. Gills not normally waxy...Tricholomataceae, p. 129

Key to Tricholomataceae:
1. Not growing on other mushrooms...2
2. Fruiting body not pinkish...3
3. Stalk present and well-developed...6
6. Stalk not arising from underground "tuber"...7
7. Veil absent...8
8. Veil absent...9
9. Gills and stalk not bruising dark gray to black...10
10. Stalk fleshy, usually at least 5mm thick...11
11. Fruiting bottle partially or completely purple...12
12. Gills thickish and fairly well-spaced; stalk fibrous and/or fibrillose; spore print white or lilac tinged...Laccaria, p.171


Key to Laccaria:
1. Violet tones completely absent, even when fresh...Laccaria laccata and others, p. 172
Listed as cap 1.5-6cm broad, convex, flesh-colored to orangish, brownish-cinnamon, growing pale as it dries.


Links:
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/laccaria_laccata.html
http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/DisplayBlock~bid~6222.asp
http://eol.org/pages/133492/overview
http://www.indianamushrooms.com/laccaria_laccata.html