Gomphidius glutinosus

Gomphidius glutinosus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Boletales
Family:	Gomphidiaceae
Genus:	Gomphidius
Species:	G. glutinosus
Binomial name
Gomphidius glutinosus (Schaeff.) Fr.

Gomphidius glutinosus
Mycological characteristics
	gills on hymenium
	cap is flat or convex
	hymenium is decurrent
	stipe has a ring
	spore print is blackish-brown
	ecology is mycorrhizal
	edibility: edible

cap is flat

Gomphidius glutinosus, commonly known as the slimy spike-cap, is a gilled mushroom found in Europe & North America. Although it has gills, it is a member of the order Boletales, along with the boletes. The fruiting bodies sprout in pine, fir and spruce woodland in Europe in autumn. Initially, are completely covered with a slimy veil, breaking through to reveal a greyish or brownish-capped mushroom with decurrent greyish gills which sometimes resembles a child's top. Opinions differ on the suitability of this mushroom for the table, some guides hold it in high regard, while others view it with caution.

Gomphidius glutinosus was initially described by German mycologist Jacob Christian Schäffer as Agaricus glutinosus in 1774, before the father of mycology Elias Magnus Fries gave it its current genus and binomial name in 1838. The genus name is derived from the Greek 'γομφος' gomphos meaning "plug" or "large wedge-shaped nail". The specific epithet glutinosus is the Latin adjective "sticky".

Alternate common names in Germany are Kuhmaul "cow snout", and Rotzer.

Said to resemble a child's top, the mushroom has a dark brownish or greyish cap up to 12 cm (4.5 in) in diameter; it has a central boss and an inrolled margin, and is initially convex and later flattens and may develop blackish markings. As with other members of the genus, the whole mushroom is often covered with slimy or sticky veil when young. The fungus tears free of the veil as it grows, leaving some strands and an indistinct ring. The stipe is 3.5–10 cm (1.4–4 in) high and 1–2 cm wide, and is white with a greyish tint and often flushed yellow at the base. The whitish flesh may have a wine-coloured tinge and has little taste or smell. The widely spaced decurrent gills are waxy in texture, with a hairy surface from the cystidia. Sometimes branched, they are initially whitish, then grey and later blackening with spores, and the spore print is brownish-black. The large spores are spindle-shaped and measure 17–20 μm long by 5.5–6 μm wide.

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Wikipedia