Caps on stems; gills below caps [mushrooms or mushroom-like]

Almost all members of this group have the fleshy fruitbodies that are commonly called mushrooms. You also see them referred to as toadstools, but mushrooms will be the term used here. On the underside of the cap are the gills, extending in from the margin towards the stem. Usually gills come in a range of lengths, from very short to long and, in most species, the long gills reach the stem. If no gills reach the stem, the species is said to have free gills.

A universal veil is a membrane that envelopes the entire mushroom at the button stage and, as the stem expands, that veil is ruptured and may leave traces as a cup-like surround (volva) or ridges around the base of the stem or as irregular wats or flakes of tissue on the cap. A partial veil covers the gills in an immature mushroom (and is called a cortina if it has a flimsy, cobwebby appearance) and extends from the edge of the cap to the stem. As the cap expands, the partial veil breaks and may leave traces as a collar of tissue (a ring or annulus) around the stem or as wispy, hard to see filaments on the stem in the case of a cortina. In some genera both types of veil are present, in some only one type is present and in many neither is present. Veil remnants may erode away over time.

In fungal field guides you see the word agaric, a collective term for fleshy fruitbodies that have a cap with gills below. A mushroom is a stemmed agaric and there are also stemless agarics.

In the following hints you see examples of useful identification features and a few of the more commonly seen genera in which at least some species (not necessarily all) show these features. The lepiotoid genera are: Chlorophyllum, Lepiota, Leucoagaricus, Leucocoprinus, Macrolepiota.

Hints

Gills white: Amanita, Armillaria, Mycena, Russula, lepiotoid genera.

Gills faintly pink: Entoloma, Pluteus, Volvopluteus.

Gills rusty brown: Cortinarius, Gymnopilus.

Gills dark chocolate brown: Agaricus, Agrocybe.

Gills purplish-brown to black: Coprinus, Hypholoma, Leratiomyces, Panaeolus, Psilocybe, Stropharia.

With a volva (possibly buried): Amanita, Volvopluteus.

Stem with a ring: Agaricus, Agrocybe, Gymnopilus, lepiotoid genera.

With a cortina: Cortinarius, Gymnopilus, Hebeloma, Psilocybe.

With free gills: Agaricus, Amanita, Pluteus, Volvopluteus, lepiotoid genera.

Growing in dense clusters, all stems arising from the same point: Armillaria, Flammulina, Gymnopilus, Hypholoma, Mycena.

Mushroom bleeds when damaged: Lactarius s.l., Mycena.

Bright yellow gills that bruise blue-green: Phylloporus.

Leathery texture: Lentinus, Neolentinus.

Fresh mushroom snaps a bit like chalk: Lactarius s.l., Russula.

Stem short & well-off centre: Melanotus, Panellus.

The immature mushroom has a granular coating that is easily rubbed off and may disappear with age: Cystoderma, Cystolepiota, Leucocoprinus.

Cap with dark scales, in concentric rings, over a white base & with solid colour at the centre: several lepiotoid genera.

On twig/leaf litter: Marasmius, Mycena.

On herbivore dung: Coprinopsis, Panaeolus, Psilocybe, Stropharia.

Warnings

The mutual pressure of mushrooms that grow in dense clusters may produce some distorted fruitbodies with stems off-centre to some degree, but in species of Melanotus and Panellus the off-centre stem is normal.

Normally stemless agarics occasionally produce fruitbodies with very rudimentary stems. If your sighting has a very rudimentary stem you may need to check that group.

As a mushroom dries out, gills attached to the stem may tear away and seem free. If you look very closely (best with a 10x handlens) you would see ragged evidence of tearing, which you won’t see in free gills.

Featured sightings

Gymnopilus sp. (Gymnopilus) at Namadgi National Park - 10 May 2023 by RobG1

Hygrocybe sp. (Hygrocybe) at Paddys River, ACT - 18 May 2022 by RobG1

Gymnopilus sp. (Gymnopilus) at Harolds Cross, NSW - 24 May 2023 by Philip

Mycena sp. (Mycena) at Manton, NSW - 25 May 2023 by trevorpreston

Hypholoma sp. (Hypholoma) at Cotter River, ACT - 7 May 2023 by SandraH

zz agaric (stem; gills not white/cream) at Paddys River, ACT - 1 Jun 2022 by TimL

Laccaria sp. (Laccaria) at Stromlo, ACT - 27 Nov 2021 by AJB

Mycena interrupta (Pixie's Parasol) at Uriarra, NSW - 27 Jun 2021 by trevsci

Latest sightings

Parasola plicatilis at Williamsdale, ACT by ryanbadowski

Trogia subglobospora ‘yellow gills’ at Acton, ACT by Heino1

Unidentified Cap on a stem; gills below cap [mushrooms or mushroom-like] at Murrumbateman, NSW by Teresa

Unidentified Cap on a stem; gills below cap [mushrooms or mushroom-like] at Isaacs, ACT by Mike

Agaricus sp. (Agaricus) at Dry Plain, NSW by AndyRoo

Coprinellus etc. (An Inkcap) at Goulburn, NSW by trevorpreston

Unidentified Cap on a stem; gills below cap [mushrooms or mushroom-like] at Weston, ACT by jmcleod

Tricholoma terreum (Grey Knight or Dirty Tricholoma) at Uriarra Village, ACT by KenT

Psilocybe sp. (Psilocybe) at Uriarra Village, ACT by KenT

Oudemansiella gigaspora group (Rooting Shank) at Uriarra Village, ACT by KenT

Mycena sp. (Mycena) at Uriarra Village, ACT by KenT

Mycena kuurkacea (Bleeding Mycena) at Uriarra Village, ACT by KenT

Macrolepiota clelandii (Macrolepiota clelandii) at Uriarra Village, ACT by KenT

Armillaria luteobubalina (Australian Honey Fungus) at Uriarra Village, ACT by KenT

zz agaric (stem; gills white/cream) at Uriarra Village, ACT by KenT

Omphalotus nidiformis (Ghost Fungus) at Uriarra Village, ACT by KenT

Hypholoma fasciculare (Hypholoma fasciculare) at Uriarra Village, ACT by KenT

Agrocybe praecox group at Cotter River, ACT by nathkay

Russula 'purpureoflava group' at Uriarra Village, ACT by KenT

Rhodocollybia incarnata at Uriarra Village, ACT by KenT

Mycena sp. ‘grey or grey-brown caps’ at Uriarra Village, ACT by KenT

Coprinellus etc. (An Inkcap) at Chifley, ACT by George

Rhodocollybia sp. at Uriarra Village, ACT by KenT

zz agaric (stem; gills not white/cream) at Uriarra Village, ACT by KenT

Pholiotina rugosa at Uriarra Village, ACT by KenT

Mycena sp. at Uriarra Village, ACT by KenT

Cortinarius sp. (Cortinarius) at Uriarra Village, ACT by KenT

Agaricus sp. (Agaricus) at Uriarra Village, ACT by KenT

Agrocybe praecox group at Hughes, ACT by ruthkerruish

Coprinellus etc. (An Inkcap) at Lyons, ACT by ran452

Coprinellus etc. (An Inkcap) at Watson, ACT by sbittinger

Bolbitius titubans (Yellow Fieldcap Mushroom) at Braidwood, NSW by MatthewFrawley

Coprinellus etc. (An Inkcap) at Casey, ACT by Hejor1

Panaeolus sp. at Campbell, ACT by Hejor1

Coprinellus etc. (An Inkcap) at Holder, ACT by Miranda

Macrolepiota dolichaula (Macrolepiota dolichaula) at Conder, ACT by MichaelBedingfield

Coprinellus etc. (An Inkcap) at Watson, ACT by abread111

Coprinellus etc. (An Inkcap) at Richardson, ACT by MB

Coprinellus etc. (An Inkcap) at Bonner, ACT by TM

Moderators

Heino1

Csteele4

Pam

KenT

CanberraFungiGroup

JTran

become a moderator

Announcements

Discussion

Teresa wrote:

15 Dec 2024

@Hejor1 that's OK, but odour and colour change can assist with ID. Some Agaricus sp. have a distinct chemical smell while other will smell of almonds or anise, some will stain red and others yellowish; just something else for you to be aware of and hopefully this will assist you with future ID's.

Agaricus sp.

Hejor1 wrote:

15 Dec 2024

@Teresa i didn't really handle the stem, and I don't think there was on odour

Agaricus sp.

Teresa wrote:

15 Dec 2024

Was there any noticeable odour or colour change on the stem when it was handled?

Agaricus sp.

KenT wrote:

14 Dec 2024

There is a recent Fungimap Agaricus pamphlet that I have not viewed I don't know if any other moderators have, perhaps it may have in it some useful information that will enable the identification further.

Agaricus sp.

Teresa wrote:

12 Dec 2024

Suggestion only - need to see more features of this fungi, but it certainly appears similar to Amanita xanthocephala found along the coast

Amanita xanthocephala