Chicken Lips: Leotia viscosa
Pileus
Cap 1.5-3.0 cm broad, hemispheric to convex, the disc occasionally depressed; margin inrolled, wavy, sometimes lobed; surface viscid when moist, more or less glabrous, dull olive-green; lower surface pallid; flesh gelatinous.
Stipe
Stipe 2.5-6.0 cm long, 0.5-1.0 cm thick, hollow or gelatinous at the core, equal to narrowed at the apex; surface smooth, pallid, buff, to yellowish, dotted with greenish granules.
Spores
Spores 18-25 x 4-6.5 µm, slightly fusiform, curved in profile, the ends rounded, septate at maturity.
Habitat
Solitary to gregarious in leaf litter, soil, or on rotten wood; fruiting from late winter to spring.
Edibility
Slimy and gelatinous; not worth trying.
Comments
Leotia viscosa is characterized by a greenish, viscid cap with a pallid undersurface and a pale yellowish stipe dotted with green granules, especially near the apex. Less common in our area but very similar is Leotia lubrica. It is distinguished by a yellowish rather than green cap.
|
.jpg "Chicken Lips: Leotia viscosa")
.jpg "Hygrocybe psittacina")
.jpg "Pilobolus roridus")
.jpg "Hygrophorus pudorinus")
.jpg "Camarophyllus pratensis")
.jpg "Mycena californiensis")
.jpg "Cramp Balls: Annulohypoxylon thouarsianum")
.jpg "Lepiota atrodisca")
.jpg "Clitocybe deceptiva")
.jpg "Russula abietina")
.jpg "Omphalina ericetorum: Lichenomphalia umbellifera")
.jpg "Bovista californica")
.jpg "Pachylepyrium carbonicola")
.jpg "Clavulina cinerea")
.jpg "Suillus caerulescens")
.jpg "Gomphidius subroseus")
.jpg "Sedecula pulvinata")
.jpg "Hericium abietis")
.jpg "Lactarius alnicola")
.jpg "Gomphidius oregonensis")
.jpg "Clitocybe squamulosa var. montana")
.jpg "Hygrophorus hypothejus")
.jpg "Collybia badiialba: Rhodocollybia badiialba")
.jpg "Stropharia riparia")