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Gymnopilus liquiritiae [ Basidiomycetes > Agaricales > by Michael Kuo Gymnopilus liquiritiae is a widely distributed wood rotting mushroom with a smooth, orange cap and a very bitter taste. Its job in the northern and western regions of the continent appears to be to assist conifer wood in the process of decay--but in southern regions it is more partial to dead hardwoods. It is not the easiest of mushrooms to identify, but the complete absence of a partial veil helps to narrow things down a bit. Microscopic features (see below) separate Gymnopilus liquiritiae from similar species. Edibility for Gymnopilus liquiritiae is not recorded, but it is so bitter than no one would want to eat it (and, for fans of Gymnopilus spectabilis, its bitterness is not counterbalanced by any other, um, benefits). Experimentation--in terms of edibility or anything else--is not a good idea. Description: Ecology: Saprobic on the rotting wood of fallen hardwoods (especially in the south) and conifers (especially in the north and west); growing alone or gregariously; widely distributed; summer and fall. Cap: 2-8 cm; convex or nearly flat, sometimes slightly bell-shaped; dry; smooth; rusty brown to orange; the margin sometimes finely lined at maturity. Gills: Attached to the stem, but sometimes pulling away from it in age; close or crowded; yellowish or pale orange at first, eventually orange; sometimes with reddish brown spots. Stem: 3-7 cm long; 3-8 mm thick; more or less equal, or tapering in either direction; sometimes somewhat off-center; smooth or finely fibrous; whitish to pale orange; basal mycelium yellow to rusty. Flesh: Pale orange to pale yellow. Odor and Taste: Taste very bitter; odor mild, fragrant, or like that of raw potatoes. Spore Print: Rusty brown. Chemical Reactions: KOH dark red on cap surface. Microscopic Features: Spores 7-8.5 x 4-5.5 µ; roughened with very tiny spines; elliptical; dextrinoid. Pleurocystidia and cheilocystidia variously shaped; 20-40 µ long. Caulocystidia in tufts; up to 50 µ long or more. REFERENCES: (Persoon, 1801) Karsten, 1879. (Saccardo, 1887; Hesler, 1969; Weber & Smith, 1985; McNeil, 2006.) Herb. Kuo 09180406. |
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Cite this page as: Kuo, M. (2004, November). Gymnopilus liquiritiae. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/gymnopilus_liquiritiae.html |