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Mushroom Monday: Tricholoma vaccinum
Today’s Mushroom Monday mushroom is Tricholoma vaccinum. This is a fuzzy mushroom and may be different from some of the smooth ones you’ve seen before.
Where Can Tricholoma vaccinum Mushrooms be Found?
Generally, Tricholoma vaccinum mushrooms can be found beneath spruce trees (with which they have a mycorrhizal relationship), but can sometimes be associated with different conifers. They can be found either alone, in scatter groups, or growing together, and in North America, can be found in northern and mountainous areas.
What do Tricholoma vaccinum Mushrooms Look Like?
Generally, Tricholoma vaccinum mushrooms have a shaggy appearance. This is on their caps and stems.
Their Caps
The caps of Tricholoma vaccinum mushrooms have a brown/orange color and a center that’s darker and that can have a bump called an umbo. Over time, their color fades to become more orange/tan. They range in size from around one to four inches across and are convex, though they broaden and flatten over time. Their caps are dry and become scaly as they mature. Their edges start out rolled in, but as the mushroom ages they can appear cut and their hairs are more noticeable.
Their Stems
The stems of Tricholoma vaccinum mushrooms can vary quite a bit in appearance. Sometimes they are almost hairless and other times they have a shaggy appearance like the cap. They can range in height from around 1.5 to 4 inches and are less than an inch thick, tapering toward the base. They are white/pale orange in color and generally smooth nearer the cap, but more fibrous and scaly toward the base. Over time, the stems become hollow. At the base of the stems, white mycelium can be seen.
Their Gills
The gills have a white/slight yellow color and can become discolored and turn brown/orange.
Are There Any Related Species That Look Similar?
An example of a similar looking related species is Tricholoma imbricatum. It can be found beneath pines and its color is browner. Its cap isn’t as scaly as Tricoloma vaccinum and its stem generally doesn’t become hollow over time.
If you liked learning about Tricholoma vaccinum mushrooms, check out our other Mushroom Monday posts on our TrueTreeTalk blog. Follow us on Facebook to keep up with these and other posts.
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