Not a portabello...

January 19, 2008 11:31 AM

Is this a mushroom?

Just found this here in Italy, and haven't been able to find a match on mushroom sites.

Any experts with an idea? If it's not a mushroom, what is it?

P.S.: my son Jonas (who found it) says: if nobody knows it, then I'll name it after myself!

posted by progosk to Science & Nature (5 answers total)

It looks a little like mycelium, the vegetative part of the mushroom, usually found underground. But I doubt that's what that is.

I don't think it's a fungus but I'm more familiar with North American types.
posted by Toekneesan at 11:54 AM on January 19, 2008

it looked like a grass to me. grasses come in many diverse sizes, shapes and colors. if you dig gently around the base to see what's underneath and there's conventional grass roots, that would seal it, if there's something other than conventional grass roots, then you email pic and description to your old college's botany department.
posted by bruce at 11:59 AM on January 19, 2008

this guy knows the name of every fungus known to humankind. if it is a fungus, he'll be able to tell you. and he's on Flickr. or you could post it to a few mushroom groups and see what they say, and then delete the pic if it's a nay.
posted by RedEmma at 4:27 PM on January 19, 2008

Best answer: Looks to me like this
posted by edd at 5:23 PM on January 19, 2008

My dog's poop used to grow that kind of mold. I personally wouldn't poke around the base of it.
posted by oneirodynia at 3:29 PM on January 20, 2008