How to identify Platterful Mushroom

To correctly identify Platterful Mushroom (Megacollybia platyphylla), check each of these features in order. Misidentification is the most common cause of mushroom poisoning, so cross-reference multiple sources.

Step-by-step identification

1. 1

   Cap

   Shape, color, surface texture, and diameter.

   3-15 cm (1.2-6 inches) in diameter, initially convex, expanding to broadly convex or flat, often with a central depression. The margin frequently splits radially, especially in mature specimens, giving it a ragged appearance. The surface is dry, fibrillose to scaly, and typically grayish-brown, dark brown, or sometimes paler, especially towards the margin. It can be somewhat hygrophanous, appearing darker when wet.

2. 2

   Gills

   Attachment to stem, color, and spacing.

   Broad, very widely spaced (hence 'broadgill'), adnexed to notched, sometimes nearly free. They are white to cream-colored, often with a slightly serrated or eroded edge in older specimens. The broad spacing is a key identifying feature.

3. 3

   Stem

   Length, shape, surface, and any ring.

   5-15 cm (2-6 inches) long and 1-2.5 cm (0.4-1 inch) thick, central, cylindrical, often tapering slightly towards the apex or base. It is firm, fibrous, and white to grayish, often with longitudinal striations or fibrils. The base is typically somewhat rooting, extending into the substrate, though not as deeply as some other rooting species.

4. 4

   Flesh

   Color, texture, and bruising reaction.

   White, thick, and firm, not changing color when cut or bruised. It has a mild taste and a slightly earthy or indistinct odor.

5. 5

   Fruiting body

   Overall growth pattern.

   Large, robust, and typically solitary to scattered. The overall appearance is somewhat coarse.

6. 6

   Habitat

   Where it grows and on what substrate.

   Saprobic, growing on decaying hardwood or conifer logs, stumps, buried wood, or woody debris. It can also appear terrestrial, but is always associated with buried wood. Found in deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests.

Key Facts

Cap surfaces

Dry, fibrillose to scaly, often radially splitting at margin

Growth Form

Solitary to scattered

Spore Print

White

Body color

Grayish-brown to dark brown cap, white to grayish stem

Odor

Mild, earthy, or indistinct

Flesh bruises

No color change

Height

5-15 cm (2-6 inches)

Cap Diameter

3-15 cm (1.2-6 inches)

Fruit body characteristics

• Gill attachment: Adnexed to notched, sometimes nearly free
• Stem shape: Cylindrical, often tapering slightly
• Stem surface: Fibrillose, longitudinally striate
• Ring: Absent
• Stem cross-section: Solid, fibrous

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