Lichenomphalia umbellifera

Hiking along the Salmon river on 3/12/15
there were lots of lichen, a few flowers, and
a few specimens of one particular mushroom shown below.

Several references seem to indicate that this mushroom is
Lichenomphalia umbellifera

However the reference indicate that this is a lichen and not a mushroom.

Click Here to see reference that says this is a lichen

---scroll down for more pictures and information ---

The cap is convex with a depressed center

The margin of the cap is curved or scaloped

The cap is definitely striate, more than actually shows in the pictures.

It was growing on wood.

The gills are decurrent

Click Here to see an article on Fungi and Lichens

Leah's comment to me:
Lichens are a symbiosis between two (sometimes 3) species
that aren't even in the same kingdom-
the photobiont makes food for the organism via photosynthesis, and
the mycobiont adds structure, moisture and collecting nutrients from the environment.

The non- fungal partner (the photobiont, which makes food through photosynthesis)
can exist without the mycobiont (the fungal partner), but
the fungal partner cannot exist on its own.

The reason it's difficult to distinguish this as a lichen
is that it's a basidiomycete lichen (basidiolichen)
which is rather rare among lichens
Click Here to read more about this

The spore print is definetly white

see microscope view of spores below

One of the specimens has a thicker stipe, but it appears to be the same varfiety.

other pictures

Spores measure
5 microns by 6 microns

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