these two Mushrooms popped up in my garden after some of the first brief rains of the season... they both looked like the same kind of mushroom, and i will post a pic of each since they are different ages ... Does anyone know what kind they are?? the small one looks like a little mushroom garden house for mice *you can see the little "door" on the stem* oh yea, i am located in Coastal Northern California... thanks ! :) curious gardener in the rain
I am familiar with amanitas, however this one seemed different to me... the stem was pinkish red- there weren't ever any spots on the cap (even when very young) and it did not ever have that that "skirt" that i have traditionally seen with amanitas... maybe this is a different kind of amanita? i have seen them by my house before. . . . . could it be a Russula mushroom? i'm not sure i have seen one in person before, but the pics on a google search look similar... ? ? ? today i am going to a Mushroom Fair at the local fairgrounds.. hopefully i will be able to find some more clues! thanks for your reply!
My thought was either Hygrophorus russula (false Russula) or Russula emetica. The first has pinkish gills and stem, usually grows under quercus or oak, while the latter has white gills and a white spore print. First is edible, latter is poisonous so to be on safe side I would avoid handling it until you find out for sure. That would be by having someone a lot more knowledgeable than I take a look at it (at your fair) and say which it is. Take a look at the following page for a comparison photo of Hygrophorus russula. http://www.ilmyco.gen.chicago.il.us/Taxa/Hygrorussu169.html Harry
Thanks for the leads!!! the Hygrophorus russula grows under Oaks... there are no oaks even close to my house, but there is a huge ro unfortunately the mushroom is far past decomposition (the pics were taken over 1 month ago) and i was not well planned with spore prints and other helpful ID tricks.
Oops i sent that last incomplete post by accident... all i left out was that the mushroom was growing under a large row of coastal/shore pines... thanks for all of your help!!
You are like myself in that respect, identifying photographs long after that fact. In some cases years later. :) Someone familiar with mushrooms might still recognize it from the photo though. Where you found them sounds like a great place. Harry
This is the common Russula sanguinea. Mention about pines growing near-by helped in the identification as this fungus form ectotrophic mycorrhiza with various species of Pinus. Alternatively, some (even still unknown) closely related endemic Russula species that is confined to the warm-temperate climate and the local pine species of your geographic area may be concerned. Regards Harri Harmaja http://www.fmnh.helsinki.fi/users/harmaja/index.htm
