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Fungi Photos Group K
Inocybe australiensis to Lichenomphalia umbellifera
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Inocybe australiensis, an uncommon Australian mycorrhizal fungus from woodland and forest, associated with Eucalypts. Cap to 20 mm or more, dull brown then tan-brown upon ageing, covered with distinctive dark brown fibrillose raised scales especially toward the pronounced umbo. Gills subdistant, light brown, ageing dark brown; spore print dull brown. Stem central, slender (approx 25x3 mm), slightly bulbous base, surface mealy striate to mealy fibrillose, very pale brown to dark red-brown. Mortimer Picnic Ground, Bunyip State Forest, May, 2010.
Inocybe violaceocaulis is a rare fungus, described firstly in 2005 from WA, and since then in S.A., then here in Victoria. Probably mycorrhizal with Eucalypts, it is a small (11 to 24 mm) species with a pale, silky fibrillose cap, which can split radially, with a broad shallow umbo; cap underlying pale cinnamon brown overlaid with violet fibrils, becoming brown. Gills are close, light grey with a violet tinge, ageing yellowish-brown, very finely serrate on edges. Spore print brown. Stem slender (22 to 34 mm high by 2 to 4 mm diam), tapering upwards, often swollen near base, violet, very pale yellow at base, fibrillose; no ring. Strong seminal odour. Presumed poisonous! NOTE: Was earlier called Inocybe geophylla var. lilacina. Uni of Newcastle Flickr photo Mortimer Picnic Ground, Bunyip State Forest, May, 2010.
Laccaria species. Looks like Laccaria lateritia, but so apparently do many related Laccaria. Happy to receive identification suggestions, because Laccaria taxonomy is unclear to me. NZ Landcare ref Jack Cann Reserve, Blackwood, 2008. 60 kB
Laccocephalum tumulosum, "Phoenix Stonemaker" (from Fungi Down Under) is one of the "stonemaker" fungi which often appear soon after a bushfire. The greyish brown cap up to 140 mm across, grows from an underground stem connected to what can be a huge stone-like mass of mycelium and soil, called a sclerotium. Underneath the broadly convex cap are decurrent, irregular, coarse pores; spore print white. These pictures were taken several weeks after the 2006 bushfires, and there were dozens of fruit bodies over a broad area. I had no digging tools able to locate any buried sclerotia. Morwell NP ref Mt William turnoff, Hall's Gap, 2006. 47 kB
Lachnum pteridophyllum, a worldwide group of wood-rotting ascomycetes growing gregariously, exclusively on the decaying main stems of tree ferns in wet forests. Pale yellow minute cupped discs to 0.8 mm across, densely hairy outside and white to very pale cream externally, on tiny short stalks (to 0.5 mm). Spores white. Melba Gully, Otway Ranges, 2010.
Lactarius deliciosus, "Saffron Milk Cap" is an introduced fungus associated especially with pines, with which it has a mycorrhizal association. Although probably accidentally introduced when pine trees were first brought out from Europe, it is apparently now often inoculated into pine plantations, because it aids their growth. Cap to 160 mm, deeply depressed, carrot-orange with radial zones. Gills deeply decurrent, orange, spore print pale yellow. Stem stout, marked with deeper orange splotches. Flesh brittle, exuding orange latex when cut, and bruising green; the whole goes green on ageing. Edible and pleasant. Wikipedia ref Mushroom Expert ref Kurth Kiln, near Gembrook, 2005. 44 kB
Lactarius eucalypti is widespread and common, mycorrhizal with eucalypts and unique to Australia, found on the ground, single or in groups. Caps to 45 mm or more, pinkish brown to reddish brown, smooth, depressed, margin very inrolled. Gills cream to tan, spore print white. Stem same colour as cap, no ring. All tissues exude white latex when damaged. Morwell NP ref Mt Drummer Rainforest Walk, Cann River, 2009. 46 kB
Lactarius wirrabara, Australian mycorrhizal fungus, uncommon, gregarious in eucalypt forests. Cap to 80 mm, chocolate brown, felty texture of tiny rigid hairs. Gills distant, staining pink , producing a creamy white latex when damaged, which turns slowly pale milky brown. Spore print white. Stems no ring, brown, finely hairy. Mushroom Observer ref Mortimer Picnic Ground, Bunyip State Forest, May, 2010.
Laetiporus portentosus, "White Punk", is a common Australian bracket polypore growing parasitically on living gum trees, causing heart rot. Cap to 350 mm wide, upper surface biscuit brown, smooth; fruit body quite thick. Pores small, pale yellow when young, dingy white on ageing; spore print white. Subject to insect attack, and often found on the ground, appearing like polystyrene foam. Reportedly used by Aborigines as a smouldering agent (meaning of word "punk") for transport of fire. ANBG ref Wikimedia ref Doctor's Creek walking track, Reefton, 2007. 50 kB
Lentinellus castoreus (?) is an uncommon wood-rotting fungus. The taxonomy in Australia is in flux. This one is most probably L. castoreus, and is probably tne correct name for Fuhrer (2005) image no. 155, p. 107. View is from underneath to show finely ragged gill edges; specimens were growing on underneath of a dead branch. Cap 15 to 50 mm, mostly dark brown and often hairy. Gills off-white, broad, crowded, with distinct serrated edges; spore print white. Stem absent or if present, short and lateral. NZ Landcare ref Doctor's Creek walking track, Reefton, 2009. 63 kB
Lentinellus tasmanicus is an uncommon wood-rotting fungus probably uniquely Australian. It is probably the more correct identity of the fungus decribed in Fuhrer (2005) image no. 154, p.107. Cap to 40 mm, shallowly funnel-shaped with down-curved margin, smooth, undulate. Gills very broad, deeply and unevenly serrated. Spore print white. Stem central, firm, woolly towards apex. Mortimer Picnic Ground, Bunyip State Forest, June, 2010.
Leotia lubrica, "Jelly Babies", occurs world-wide, growing on soil in wet forests, common, and singly or in groups. Height up to 80 mm, yellow, yellowish-green, to olive green, with a roughly globose cap, tightly inrolled, gelatinous. The stem is lighter yellow to ochre, sturdy, viscid when young, with tiny scales. Wikipedia ref Mushroom Expert ref ANBG ref Baldry Crossing, Greensbush, Mornington Peninsula, 2008. 45 kB
Lepiota aspera is an uncommon mycorrhizal fungus found on the forest floor, and easily confused with similar spined Lepiota species. It is an especially Northern Hemisphere species where is is often called "Freckled Dapperling". Cap to 100 mm, cream, with many reddish-brown, prominent, pointed scales, crowded in the centre; cap is markedly convex but tends to flatten out with age. Gills close, white, discolours with age, not joined to stem at centre; spore print white, (mistakenly stated as yellow-brown by Fuhrer). Stem sturdy, (100x15 mm), pallid, prominent skirt-like ring which ofen falls off with age; stem dry, smooth, fibrillose-scaly below ring. NB: Best regarded as quite toxic. Wikipedia ref Mushroom Expert ref Roger's Mushrooms ref Melba Gully, Otway Ranges, 2010.
Leucoagaricus ooliekirrus (?) is an Australian native commonly found on soil in wet forest. Caps to 50 mm, convex, fragile, white to very light biscuit centre on shallow umbo, cap margin delicately scalloped. Gills pure white, close; spore print white. Stem tall, slender, with a marked but delicate ring like a collar above the stem centre. NOTE: Identification uncertain because there are several very similar species which are only discernible microscopically. Morwell NP ref Paradise, Otway Ranges, 2008. 38 kB
Leucoagaricus rubrotinctus is a worldwide cellulose-rotting species with considerable variability in appearance, and sometimes redder in colour than shown. Cap to 60 mm, covered with reddish-brown radial fibrils. Gills white, close, free from stem, not staining red on bruising. Stem to 100x7 mm, white, with a persistent ring. MykoWeb ref Mushroom Expert ref Melba Gully, Otway Ranges, 2010.
Leucocoprinus birnbaumii, "Yellow Houseplant Mushroom" occurs world-wide. It often appears in the soil of potplants, for some reason. Caps to 60 mm, bright yellow, scaly, ovoid then bell-shaped, finally flattened and collapsed. Gills yellow, crowded; spore print white. Stem yellow, slightly bulging at base, tapering to top, smooth or powdery, prominent yellow ring towards the top. Wikipedia ref Mushroom Expert ref Domestic potplant, my home, 2009. 33 kB
Leucopaxillus eucalyptorum is a robust Australian mycorrhizal fungus in eucalypt forest or woodland, especially often found amongst the dead bark littering the base of older trees. Cap to 150 mm, convex, margin in-rolled, flattening to centrally depressed; drab cream-brown to dull tan, darker in the centre, with mottled water-mark-like patches; surface fibrillose, velvet to finely scaly. Gills crowded, adnate to slightly decurrent, white to cream, bruising brownish when older. Stem central, stout (100x 25 mm), no ring, pallid, fibrillose, with swollen base. Commonly arising from a dense, copious mass of white mycelium in the forest litter. Morwell NP ref Coranderrk Bushland, Healesville, 2010.
Leucoscypha catharinaea grows only on moss along wet river banks and in waterfall spray. I think it's found world-wide, but uncommon here. It's an ascomycete cup fungus, as a small disc to 5 mm with tiny hairs around the edge, on a paler yellow stalk. Jumping Creek Reserve, Warrandyte, 2007. 54 kB
Lichenomphalia chromacea, "Yellow Navel" (formerly known as Omphalina chromacea) grows always associated with an algal mat, with which it forms a lichenous symbiotic relationship; the fungus produces spores, whilst the algae produces photosynthetic products. Especially found on disturbed ground, and native to Australia. Caps to 25 mm, bright chrome yellow, funnel-shaped, with a down-curved, scalloped margin. Gills quite decurrent, distant, may be forked or joined by little sideways connections (anastomoses); spore print white. Stem slender, yellow, no ring. NB: might be two species in this photo. ANBG ref Devilbend Reservoir, 2007. 45 kB
Lichenomphalia umbellifera, (previously Omphalina umbellifera) also grows as a lichen association with an algal mat in a similar way to L. chromacea (see previous). Cap to 15 mm, very deeply funnel-shaped, light brown to yellow-brown, down-turned scalloped margins. Gills deeply decurrent, distant; spore print white. Stem pale tan, no ring, wider at base. Wikipedia ref Bioimages ref Devilbend Reservoir, 2007. 65 kB