Group: Agrocybe

These pictures were taken in April, 2000 in Havelock North. 

Cap: It is a relatively large mushroom, these had a cap diameter of 15cm. Dry upper surface. Light brown in colour.

Gills: Dark reddish brown. Covered by a veil when young.
Spore print: Rusty brown.

Stalk: Centrally attached to the cap and about 1.5cm thick and between 10-17cm long. The partial veil leaves a hard to miss ring on the stalk, you may notice in the pictures that the veil is a brown colour, this is actually from the high spore deposit as it is released from the gills.

Edibility: Supposedly edible after cooking, I have not tried it and would be cautious in doing so!!

Notes: This mushroom often grows on dead wood, but it also can invade live tree, (as in these pictures) causing a heart rot disease.

The mushrooms in the pictures are growing out of a deep wound from the tree trunk, but the tree is very much alive!!

Found  in Havelock North on September 2&3rd, 2000.

As the common name for this mushroom suggests, it is an early mushroom due to it's presence in early spring.

Cap: Tan to light brown in colour. About 4.5cm in diameter, convex to flat in shape but the margin remains in turned for a while. In dry conditions the surface develops large cracks like in the photo. If you look closely you can see some veil remnants on the margin.
(see the partial veil rupturing)

Gills: Tan when young then light brown at maturity. Connected to stem and runs down it slightly, though this is hard to see in the mature fruit.
Spore Print: Cinnamon brown. (see link)

Stem: Fleshy, about 6cm high and 7mm thick. Ring present when young but not obvious at maturity.

Edibility: Edible, but supposedly has a disgusting flavor.