Entoloma

Notes

Small to medium sized, always on soil, cap smooth, gills attached to stalk, stalk central, without ring, spore print pink (gills typically with pinkish bloom when mature).
More than 60 species have been reported for New Zealand. Often difficult to identify to species level. Colour is an important character, but the differences in colour are often subtle, and colour is influenced by age of the mushroom, and its exposure to rain and sun. A few of the common species are illustratated below to give a feel for the variety within the genus.
There are other common pink-spored mushrooms on soil which can sometimes be distinguished with certainty only by using microscopic characters, and these include Rhodocybe (most species large, and most with the cap sunken in the centre), Volvariella (see Large Mushrooms on Soil), and Lepista (larger, in New Zealand known only from urban situations).

Name Image Google
Images NZFungi Entry

Entoloma procerum

One of several Entoloma species with brownish fruiting bodies.
See other photos for Entoloma procerum at Google Images See details for Entoloma procerum at the nzfungi website

Entoloma hochstetteri

Werewere-kokako, the iconic bright blue mushroom, common throughout New Zealand. This fungus is featured on our $50 note.
The Kaimai Ranges are the type locality for this famous mushroom, somewhere between Whakamarama and the top of the Wairere Falls
See other photos for Entoloma hochstetteri at Google Images See details for Entoloma hochstetteri at the nzfungi website

Entoloma aromaticum

See other photos for Entoloma aromaticum at Google Images See details for Entoloma aromaticum at the nzfungi website

Entoloma peralbidum

See other photos for Entoloma peralbidum at Google Images See details for Entoloma peralbidum at the nzfungi website