October 2001 Buckinghamshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. Cap Flattened or depressed, surface felty, becoming rough with age, margin irregular, white, then buff, grey or brown, not zoned, drying paler, margin remaining white, to about 10 cm across Spines White, then grey or brown, sometimes with a violet or pink tinge, to about 2 mm long Stem Felty, white, then grey brown Flesh Thin, firm, white to grey brown, darker in the stem Smell Indistinct when fresh, of crushed fenugreek seeds when dry Taste Bitter Season Autumn Distribution Rare Habitat In deciduous woods, and occasionally with Pinus sylvestris Spore Print White Microscopic Features Spores sub-globose, spiny (3.5-4.5) x (3-4) µm2 excluding spines. Edibility Unknown Notes This species is easily confused with P. melaleucus 
October 2001 Buckinghamshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. |