Paxillus cuprinus

[Mal Greaves]

One of the "new" Paxillus found in open areas but with Birch and with distinctive tapering "pinched" spores.

Mal

[Leif Goodwin]

Impressive. What made you think it might be interesting?

[Mal Greaves]

I have know for some time about changes in Paxillus so have been looking for P amoniavirescens which I have found on a couple of occasions but the latest Field Mycology has just published the "current" key. On a macroscopic level the difference between P involutus and P cuprinus is mainly down to habitat. The former found in woodland, the latter in open areas. I see a lot of Paxillus and when I came across this specimen amongst just four or five trees at the edge of a heathland common I thought I would look a little closer. I was a bit dubious about the ease of identifying spores with "predominantly constricted apex" but it turned out that there were lots that I confidently felt fitted this description. I compared with spores of P involutus I had stored (while trying unsuccessfully to see any colour difference) and there were almost no constricted spores.

Paxillus involutus spores

Mal

[Roy Betts]

Well done Mal! Very convincing spores.
By the time my 'Field Mycology' had arrived all the Paxillus around here had gone; so I'm looking forward to next season to try out Geoff's key to the 5 British species. I've found rubicundulus a couple of times but many Paxillus finds seem to be in "parks and gardens" and so are likely to be ammoniavirescens, obscuriporus or cuprinus.

[Mal Greaves]

Thanks Roy
It is good to be able to come to a successful id without having to make a judgement call on the shape/size/ornamentation of the spores/cystidia etc