Gymnopilus liquiritiae
Encyclopedia
Gymnopilus liquiritiae is a mushroom in the Cortinariaceae
family
. The mushroom is widely distributed and grows in dense clusters on dead conifer wood. It has a rusty orange spore print
, a bitter taste, and may contain the hallucinogen psilocybin
. One of its key distinguishing features is the lack of partial veil
.
Cortinariaceae
The Cortinariaceae are a large family of gilled mushrooms found worldwide, containing over 2100 species. The family takes its name from its largest genus, the varied species of the genus Cortinarius...
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
. The mushroom is widely distributed and grows in dense clusters on dead conifer wood. It has a rusty orange spore print
Spore print
thumb|300px|right|Making a spore print of the mushroom Volvariella volvacea shown in composite: mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print...
, a bitter taste, and may contain the hallucinogen psilocybin
Psilocybin
Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic prodrug, with mind-altering effects similar to those of LSD and mescaline, after it is converted to psilocin. The effects can include altered thinking processes, perceptual distortions, an altered sense of time, and spiritual experiences, as well as...
. One of its key distinguishing features is the lack of partial veil
Partial veil
thumb|150px|right|Developmental stages of [[Agaricus campestris]] showing the role and evolution of a partial veilPartial veil is a mycological term used to describe a temporary structure of tissue found on the fruiting bodies of some basidiomycete fungi, typically agarics...
.
Description
- Cap: 2 – 8 cm in diameter; initially convex, becoming nearly plane to nearly umbonate in age, dry, smooth, rusty brown to orange color, margin even, at length striatulate (with marked by small lines, grooves or ridges), cracking slightly in age, flesh pale yellow to pale orange.
- Gills: Close to crowded; broad, edges fimbriate, yellowish or pale orange, eventually orange; sometimes with reddish brown spots.
- Spore Print: Rusty brown.
- Stipe: (1)3 – 7 cm long; (2)3 — 8(10) mm thick; more or less equal, or tapering in either direction; sometimes slightly, even to off-center; smooth or finely fibrous; whitish to pale orange; yellowish or rusty colored myceliumMyceliumthumb|right|Fungal myceliaMycelium is the vegetative part of a fungus, consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae. The mass of hyphae is sometimes called shiro, especially within the fairy ring fungi. Fungal colonies composed of mycelia are found in soil and on or within many other...
at the base of the stalk. No partial veil. - Taste: Bitter
- Odor: Mild or sometimes like raw potatoes
- Microscopic features: Spores 7 — 8.5(10) x 4 — 5.5 µm, elliptical; pleurocystidia (inconspicuous), cheilocystidia, pileocystidia and caulocystidia present.