Found and independently identified by Pete Flood, Eric Janke and Leif Goodwin. October 2023 Franchises Wood, New Forest, Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. Cap Convex with a central dip, becoming funnel shaped with age, smooth, greyish brown to dark brown when moist, strongly hygrophanous, margin not translucently striate, to about 8 cm across Gills Decurrent, crowded, whitish then pale brown Stem Cylindrical, smooth, somewhat fibrous, pale brown Flesh Firm, whitish to pale brown Smell Faint, pleasant Taste Faint, pleasant Season Autumn to winter Distribution Very rarely recorded Habitat On soil in leaf litter with deciduous trees Spore Print White Microscopic Features Spores ellipsoidal (6-9) x (3.5-4.5) µm2. Basidia slender, club shaped, 4 spored. Gill cystidia not present. Edibility Inedible 
Spores in Congo Red solution viewed with a 100X immersion objective. 1 October 2023 Franchises Wood, New Forest, Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. |