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Fungi Photos Group L
Limacella pitereka to Melanoleuca sp. Fuhrer No. 183
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Limacella pitereka is a mycorrhizal fungus of Australian forest and woodland, occasionally in pine forest. Cap to 70 mm, convex, becoming plano-convex with a low umbo, very glutinous (tending to trap insects), white, usually with a brownish centre. The gills are close and creamy white. The stem is also glutinous, with no obvious ring. Morwell NP ref Coranderrk Bushland, Healesville, 2010.
Lycogala epidendrum, a slime mold (Myxomycete) is found on moist rotting wood worldwise, with the name "Wolf's Milk", or "Toothpaste Fungus". One of the slime molds, the basic organism can move slowly around, amoeba-like on the substrate. Then it forms the brownish roughly spherical spore-releasing structures called a sporangium, filled with a pinkish-brown paste bearing spores. Wikipedia ref Mushroom Expert ref Myrtle Loop Walk, The Beeches, Marysville, 2008. 48 kB
Macrolepiota clelandii, "Parasol Mushroom" is the currently correct name of this very common Australian-NZ species which is called M. konradii, M. gracilenta, M. procera, LM. mastoidea, etc, in various sources. It is quite variable, and found in open forest soil, cap to around 150 mm, white with brown scales, darkening at the centre to an almost shiny umbo. Gills off-whitish, free; spore print creamy white. Stem very tall, pale brown, often with darker bands, ring fixed at first then movable; may fall off. Wikipedia ref Morwell NP ref NZ Landcare ref Doctor's Creek walking track, Reefton, 2007. 56 kB
Macrotyphula juncea, "Fairy Hair", grows world-wide in wet forest on leaf litter, singly or in colonies, as very slender off-white clubs to 100 mm high. The clubs sometimes become distorted, and there is a lower region of brownish stem; the whole can become clay-cloured with age. Morwell NP ref Mykoweb ref Ned's Gully, Cathedral Range, 2006. 45 kB
Marasmiellus affixus, "Little Stinker" (odour of rotting cabbage) commonly grows in wet forest as colonies on the underside of dead eucalypt bark and branches. Caps to 15 mm, with a very short lateral stem, dirty cream colour. Gills distant, cream; spore print white. A dirty cream coloured discolouration appears on the substrate, forming rhizomorphs which bind together twigs and leaves. There may be a lichenous association with algae. Eco Tourism track, Sanatorium Picnic Ground, Mt Macedon, 2009. 42 kB
Marasmiellus affixus - see previous. Eco Tourism track, Sanatorium Picnic Ground, Mt Macedon, 2009. 41 kB
Marasmiellus candidus is a small, elegant, world-wide wood-rotting fungus found in clusters on rotting twigs, branches and standing dead trees in moist forest. (From Latin candidus = clear, white, shining.) Cap to 20 mm, at first broadly funnel-shaped, dry, white, somewhat translucent, becoming buff to pinkish with age. Gills attached adnate to subdecurrent, distant, with shallow interconnecting veins, white to buff, pinkish with age. Stem central, often eccentric, smooth, slender (to 20x3 mm), curving upwards, tapering to base, usually two-toned - white near apex, shading to grey or black near base. MykoWeb ref Rogers Mushrooms ref Mushroom Hobby ref Mt Drummer Rainforest Walk, Cann River, 2010.
Marasmius alveolaris (Greek: marasmos = drying out), like many of this genus, dry out on collection, but can be completely revived with moisture. Commonly found growing in colonies on dead bark and twigs, cap to 5 mm, off-white to biscuit, with little bulges or 'blisters' between the widely-spaced whitish gills; spore print white. Stems to 12 mm, dark brown to black, very fine and hair-like, no ring. I suspect it's native to Australia. Morwell NP ref Mt Drummer Rainforest Walk, Cann River, 2008. 21 kB
Marasmius crinisequi, "Horsehair Fungus", (Latin: crinis = hair; equus = horse) originally thought by me to be M. alveolaris, but image shows following features: pleated/grooved biscuit or brownish cap (to 4 mm diam) with a minute dark knob in centre of dimple, plus tiny collar around fine, long, dark, tough stem, with the distant, thick gills joining to collar, confirms M. crinisequi. Morwell NP ref Mt Drummer Rainforest Walk, Cann River, 2008. 57 kB
Marasmius elegans is a wood-rotting fungus common, singly or in groups, on forest litter or on well-rotted wood native to Australia (and perhaps SE Asia). It has a cap to 50 mm, convex with slight umbo, orange-brown to reddish-brown, smooth, velvety, margin very incurved at first; cap margin usually lighter in colour than centre. Gills crowded, white at first then pale orange; spore print white. Stem slender, notable by two-toned colours; white at apex, shading to cap colour (or darker) towards base; no ring; often white tuft of mycelium at base. ANBG ref Morwell NP ref Day's Picnic Ground, Mt Macedon, 2009. 33 kB
Marasmius species 'angina' is a not yet fully described species given the temporary name 'angina' in reference to the blue-grey colour. Growing on dead twigs or logs, it has a bell-shaped cap, to 15 mm, convex to flattened to concave, with a depressed dark blue centre. Purplish grey pink when young, with white margin later becoming pale grey purple; radially striate, margin crenellate. Gills adnate, moderately close, pale brown to purple brown; spore print white. Stem long, slender (to 60x1 or 2 mm), tough, black-brown, perhaps paler near apex; no ring. Melba Gully, Otway Ranges, 2010.
Melanoleuca species Fuhrer No. 183. This was identified on the foray as resembling the picture No 183 in Fuhrer's book. There are many species in the Melanoleuca genus (Greek: melano = black or dark; leuca = white), and they all have a dark brown cap, with close, white gills and white spore-print. Otherwise they are mainly distinguished by microscopic examination. For this one, it grows around forest margins and clearings, the 80 mm, brown cap is flat to shallow funnel-shaped, the gills are white and crowded, stem tough and brown. Otherwise, it's a mystery, but elegant to see. Paradise, Otway Ranges, 2008. 40 kB
