Ok, I love this forum. I went to Grouse mountain today and jumped the fence into the Capilano Watershed Utility road, I followed that road about 1/2km and then crossed the powerlines and headed down a steep ridgeline and ultimately to the gravel lakeshore of Capilano Lake. Along the way i found 6 small, dense Chanterelles. 1, yet to be confirmed, dried up sulfur shelf. Several soft white polypore shelf fungi that I am very curious to see determinations. Finally I found what I am 95% possitive to be my first 'in the field' capture of a Honey Mushroom - Armillaria Gallica You can see in the photo that the spore print is a cloudy white and has expressed across much of the duff. I reached in and examined the substance that it clustered upon and it was buried rotting wood, most likely conifer. The gills are definitely dicurrent and there is slight yellowing/greening at the base. there is a ring around the stem. I beleive this to be of the 'Gallica' specie
As long as it has a white spore print, it sure looks like an Armillaria. Just out of curiosity, what feature(s) lead you to believe it is A. gallica. I would be inclined to call it A. ostoyae - but i don't know A. gallica so i'm curious.
I took it to be the Gallica specie mainly due to its coloring, olive/green especially near base. Only now to find that all of the honey mushroom strains I have read through have the same characteristic. Even the gallica states that it is edible when cooked. though in small quanitities. Is this a mushroom that is readily found and has no 'evil twin'? What are the charateristics that SEPARATE this specie from another? Spore print color? Smell? Taste? So far it seems that there are many strains of armillaria and none are poisonous.
Hi Joel, There are some poisonous mushrooms with brown spore prints that resemble honey mushrooms: So I would say confirming that your mushroom has white spores is of particular importance. But like with many identifications, the concept of "resemble" really depends on a person's level of familiarity with the mushrooms and with discerning differences in the identifying features. Galerinas and Pholiotas for example are also found growing on wood in similar habitats, with similar habit, sometimes with a similar appearance. I've found Pholiotas growing on the same tree as honeys at the same time, with the same clustered habit and overall "look." I don't think taste would be an important character to apply to these, as I have tasted at least one species of all three genera and found the taste to be mild (noting also per MycoRob's excellent article, there is the question of being able to detect certain tastes). I don't recall a smell but I wasn't focussing on that. cheers! frog
White spore print is what I also has concluded as being the 'richeous tell' I am very excited to find that I am learning a great deal and being able to use that teaching to accurately ID mushrooms that I am actively searching for. I am ever grateful for the 'boys and girls' that frequent this site. What is the reason for different colored spore prints? Is there more wonderful teaching to be applied in this understanding of spore print color?
