Created: 2008-09-11 16:37:58
By: Paul Derbyshire (Twizzler)
Summary: Same genera, Inocybe, or Phaeocollybia.

Maybe just dark brown spores, attached gills, and other features allow a few more possibilities, including Galerina and others, but the closest matches in my field guide are Inocybe and Phaeocollybia. The former are nearly all poisonous with muscarine, basically causing the same effects as low doses of nerve gas (nasty!), and have fibers in the cap. The photos don’t evidence these, which makes me doubt Inocybe. If there was a strong spermatic odor to the mushroom, though, Inocybe it is.

Phaeocollybia tend to occur in big groups and in the Pacific NW, which seems to eliminate them. But the rooting stalk is consistent with Phaeocollybia and there may be species, not in my field guide, found in the east part of the continent.

If I had to hazard a guess I’d go for Psathyrella or Psilocybe still.

Created: 2008-09-11 15:54:34
By: (Alan Rockefeller)
Summary: More info

The print is not black, its more of a walnut brown or maybe even a dark purple brown. I did some color correction on the origional photo that made the background color more accurate but made the print look more black then it should have. I put the original image back so the color is a little more accurate now.

Here is some more info on this collection:

Habitat: Found growing in mulch in southeastern PA

Gills: tan

Stem: Tan, hollow

Cap: Umbonate, tan

Spore print color: Dark purple brown or maybe just a dark walnut brown with no purple

Created: 2008-09-11 12:19:58
By: Paul Derbyshire (Twizzler)
Summary: Panaeolus, Psathyrella, or Psilocybe

But probably not Panaeolus; I don’t see much mottling on the gills.

Used a key based on spore print color, gill attachment, and veils; your mushroom has no sign of any veils at maturity, has notched attached gills, and has a black spore print, to judge by the photos.

The closest species-match in my field guide is Psilocybe squamosa, but that has a rough stem. None of the species of those three genera listed in my field guide are described as having a rooting stem.

Information about habitat might help narrow things down further.