24 October 2024 Puttenham Common, Surrey. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. Cap Top shaped, often several fused together, surface velvety then smooth, radially ridged, zoned, margin whitish when young, centre pinkish, then dark reddish brown, to about 8 cm across Spines Decurrent, pinkish, then dark brown, to 4 mm long Stem Usually central, equal or tapered, velvety, concolorous with the cap surface, to about 40 mm long and 10 mm wide, sometimes with a bulbous base Flesh Thin, fibrous, tough, reddish brown, exuding a green stain when exposed to an alkali such as KOH solution Smell Strong, mealy Taste Mealy Season Autumn Distribution Infrequent Habitat In deciduous and coniferous woods Spore Print Brown Microscopic Features Spores subspherical, knobbly (4-5.5) x (3-3.5) µm2 Edibility Inedible Notes The rather similar H. scrobiculatum lacks zoning on the cap, has flesh that does not stain in KOH solution, and larger spores. 
24 October 2024 Puttenham Common, Surrey. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. 
24 October 2024 Puttenham Common, Surrey. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. 
Spores in Congo Red solution viewed with a 100X immersion microscope. 24 October 2024 Puttenham Common, Surrey. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. 
2 October 2010 Surrey. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. 
2 October 2010 Surrey. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. 
29 September 2010 Surrey. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. 
29 September 2010 Surrey. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. 
29 September 2010 Surrey. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. |