Gymnopus dryophilus 76%

I collected a sample and did a spore print overnight. Then I ran all the variables through Matchmaker. it came up with only one option: Gymnopus dryophilus, or common Collybia.

Here is the spore print:

I've interpreted this as cream, pale yellow, yellow-brown, or orange brown. The photos doesn't really look like it does with the naked eye. I would say it is more cream than anything.

Matchmaker is a very interesting and complex program. I can't believe all the variables. The algorithms must be "gnarly dude."

It is a nice looking fungus, with a pleasant fungusy smell.

When I use the little option in Matchmaker for reducing the percentage match it gives me other choices.

1. Lepista inversa*  63%
2. Paxillus involutus*  61%
3. Gymnopus confluens*  61%
4. Cortinarius semisanguineus*  61%
5. Clitocybe albirhiza*  61%

Of these, Lepista inversa and Cortinarius semisanguineus also look like good candidates. Except that my specimen does not have "decurrent gills that become cap-colored." Well, they are cap-colored, but not decurrent (extending down the stem below the point of attachment).

Cortinarius semisanguineus looks more like my specimen in some ways but mine is probably not as brown and with a thinner stipe, and definitely not red to brown spores.

So, based on the information I was able to enter, this is probably Gymnopus dryophilus. It sure smells nice, but it will take a few more years of learning about identification before I will even consider eating one!