Identification: Huge mushroom, looking for ID

I found this site and registered here 100% purely for identification of this mushroom, so forgive me if this thing turns out relatively easy to ID.

I believe it should be identifiable purely from these images, but I'll include what extra information I presently can. I'm just really curious what the heck this thing is that I found.


As you can see, it's huge - I can't even wrap my hand all the way around its stalk. Stalk circumference is probably close to a foot around, give or take. Over four inch diameter at the base, somewhere around three inch diameter closer to the top of the stalk. The cap is about seven and a half inches across at the widest point.


Ignoring the goofy face, you can see it's pretty big even in relation to my head.

More photos:







Other information:

Habitat:
I live in southwestern Ohio (Butler County, near Hamilton and Cincinnati). Found it growing underneath a row of pine trees, among the needles on the ground.

Gills:
I haven't torn apart the mushroom to see if there are any hidden gills that're maybe yet to be exposed or whatever, but there are absolutely none visible from outside.

Spore print color:
Haven't made one yet; will provide if necessary for identification. Currently attempting to preserve original condition of the mushroom; don't want to damage it yet.

Bruising:
N/A

Other information:
Has a somewhat musty smell, but that seems fairly typical of mushrooms in my experience at least. Also had a translucent yellow liquid leak lightly out of it in a few spots. There was a little damage to the cap in a few spots; inside, the cap appears to be a wet, spongy yellow (spongy like a very fine kitchen sponge, I mean).

 

That is one humungous fungus! I have no idea what it might be, but the mycofanatics will surely be through to tell you.

 

Might have pores. Could be a bolete.

 

I would like you to cut it in half and take a picture. Also look for color changes when you cut through it, and let us know how long the color change takes. Thanks.

P.S. good job on providing details.

 

Because this appears to be a mature mushroom without an exposed hymenium (gills, pores, tubes etc), that should narrow the choices to those mushrooms that are somewhat of a missing link between aboveground mushrooms and truffles (aka hypogeous or underground mushrooms). By starting to reabsorb the hymenium, presumably it's converting its reproductive strategy from sending spores out on the wind to enticing something to eat it and take its spores elsewhere.

An example is Entoloma abortivum
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/entoloma_abortivum.html

theory #2
This also looks something like fungi I've seen being parasitized by a Hypomyces species or other similar fungi. As with the familiar Lobster mushroom, the appearance of the Russula's gills is reduced to ridges or bumps when fully parasitized by Hypomyces lactifluorum.

last addition:
E. abortivum is actually a poor example of what I was describing, but I can't recall a better one right now. However, it does resemble your specimen thetonestarr.
overandout
frog

 

Just looked through my book "Nnorth American Boletes" and found nothing. I'll send your pictures to an expert in the field for their opinion but it'll take a few days ...

 

I'm COMPLETELY agreeing with Frog's idea of a parasitizing fungus on a host! I've seen several boletes (even HUGE ones) that have been pure white with the underside and stems AND caps looking almost like a huge hunk of white porceline. Wish I knew more about Boletes and the parasiting fellows.
A magnificent find! Did you by chance find any others around? Smaller....or even some mushrooms without the white color?

 

I'll go for that too, in the absence of a brilliant id. It sure looks like that tho I've only seen it with Lobster mushrooms. For the size of it, I'd wager that it used to be a king bolete before it became lunch for something else.

thetonestarr, watch under those pines this fall and late summer and fall next year. These mushrooms live in cooperation with the pine trees and will recur.

If what you had were fresh and uninfected there is a good chance you would have found something delicious.

Bring pics of what you find back here for help with an ID.

Thanks for sharing your very weird find.

 

Did you slice it open yet? Could it be a puffball?

 

Yes please do slice it open lengthwise down the stalk thetonestarr, I'm curious as to what this turns out to be ... or for new evidence :-).

thanks
frog