Pluteus salicinus (Pers.) P. Kumm. - Willow Shield

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Pluteus salicinus is a wood-rotting fungus that occurs mainly on hardwood stumps and buried timber, particularly willow. This fungus can appear at any time from early summer through to late autumn. (Picture courtesy of David Adamson, July 2009.)

Although some sources list this as an edible mushroom, Pluteus salicinus has a form known to contain Psilocybin, a hallucinogenic substance, and so it is inadvisable to gather these mushrooms for eating.

Identification Guide

Cap	Smooth, convex and usually mid grey to dark greyish-brown, often with blue tints, the caps are unlined and typically 3 to 5cm in diameter. Caps often have a darker grey central region, sometimes witha slight umbo. The cap flesh is white and firm.
Gills	White at first, becoming pale pink, the gills are broad, crowded and free.
Spores	Pale pink.
Stem	White and untapering, typically 5 to 7mm diameter and 4 to 7cm long, sometimes slightly bulbous at the base. The stem flesh is white and firm, and does not become hollow as it ages. In some forms of this mushroom the stem surface bruises slightly blue-green.
Odour/taste	Not distinctive.
Habitat	Solitary or in small groups on stumps, rotting fallen branches and other woody debris of broad-leaf trees, particularly willow and alder.
Season	Fruiting from early summer to late autumn, provided the weather is mild. Most often fruiting from mid summer to mid autumn.
Occurrence	Widespread but not particularly common.
Similar species	Pluteus umbrosus has a wrinkled cap and is generally a little smaller. Pluteus cervinus has a smooth brown or fawn cap.

Reference Sources

Fascinated by Fungi, Pat O'Reilly 2011

Dictionary of the Fungi; Paul M. Kirk, Paul F. Cannon, David W. Minter and J. A. Stalpers; CABI, 2008

Taxonomic history and synonym information on these pages is drawn from many sources but in particular from the British Mycological Society's GB Checklist of Fungi and (for basidiomycetes) on Kew's Checklist of the British & Irish Basidiomycota.