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benzene
newbie

Registered: 06/22/04
Posts: 30
Last seen: 18 years, 4 months
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identifying purple fungi (Australia)
#2819824 - 06/23/04 01:36 AM (19 years, 7 months ago) |
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From Bundoora, Victoria. I've been observing fungi around and i came across these purple ones. I have tried to find info online (without having invested in a field guide yet) but without any luck and was wondering if anyone recognizes this type. They were growing in pairs or alone near a eucalyptus tree in long grass. The caps are around 15-20cm big and small black grub-like insects seem to love them. I just liked the purple colour on the stem and gills as visible in the photo. Any thoughts? Thanks. (I have no intention of eating these.)
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Gumby
Fishnologist


Registered: 06/13/01
Posts: 26,656
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Re: identifying purple fungi (Australia) [Re: benzene]
#2819891 - 06/23/04 02:13 AM (19 years, 7 months ago) |
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Some type of Cortinarius. Possibly a Blewit (Clitocybe nuda). I'm not sure how to identify corts, perhaps ToxicMan can provide us with some insight.
It's nothing active, I'll tell you that.
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OOISI
Suburbanaut


Registered: 03/21/04
Posts: 2,394
Loc: SA
Last seen: 5 days, 11 hours
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Re: identifying purple fungi (Australia) [Re: benzene]
#2820002 - 06/23/04 03:39 AM (19 years, 7 months ago) |
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Cotrinarius Lavendulensis>? im not 100% sure though, is there a patch of orange on the cap and gills?
-------------------- Subaeruginosa Guide Bless the Lord, O my soul O my soul Worship His holy name.
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ToxicMan
Bite me, it's fun!


Registered: 06/28/02
Posts: 6,721
Loc: Aurora, Colorado
Last seen: 21 hours, 58 minutes
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Re: identifying purple fungi (Australia) [Re: benzene]
#2820214 - 06/23/04 08:30 AM (19 years, 7 months ago) |
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As Gumby said, that's either one of the many purplish Cortinarius species or one of the various species of Blewit (genus Clitocybe, or with some authors Lepista).
The easiest way to distinguish the Cortinarius species from the Blewits is spore print color. The Cortinarius species will have a strongly rusty brown spore print, and the Blewits will have a pale pinkish tan spore print.
The Cortinarius species shouldn't be eaten - there hasn't been anywhere near enough study to be sure of which species are poisonous and which aren't. There are known to be at least a few deadly poisonous species of Cortinarius, near Cortinarius orellanus. Your specimen is not near that species, but I wouldn't eat it anyway.
In '97 I attended a lecture by Dr Meinhard Moser on Cortinarius (he's the guy who named most of the species that have names) and somebody asked him if any of them were good to eat. He replied that he wouldn't eat any of them.
On the other hand, the Blewits are edible, and many people regard them as choice. Be sure to get a spore print before you think about eating one. Also, that one looks like the bugs have eaten it pretty good already, so it may not be edible even if it's an edible species. Cut it in half vertically to see if the bugs beat you to it.
Happy mushrooming!
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benzene
newbie

Registered: 06/22/04
Posts: 30
Last seen: 18 years, 4 months
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Re: identifying purple fungi (Australia) [Re: ToxicMan]
#2822488 - 06/23/04 10:02 PM (19 years, 7 months ago) |
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There were a few pine trees within 6m of the gum tree they were groing around, and the bug-munched caps were cardboard to cork brown. The aussie fungimap site (http://fungimap.rbg.vic.gov.au/fsp/) indicates that the Lepista Nuda can be eaten as long as its cooked stating they "Should not be eaten raw, can cause poisoning." Either way - i wouldn't want to rob the bugs of their feast, nor contaminate my room with them so i won't pursue properly identifying these fungi. Thanks for the insight.
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benzene
newbie

Registered: 06/22/04
Posts: 30
Last seen: 18 years, 4 months
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Re: identifying purple fungi (Australia) [Re: benzene]
#2822506 - 06/23/04 10:09 PM (19 years, 7 months ago) |
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Recon it's worth moving to the "Australian Finds- Non PA mushroom pics" thread?
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