An interesting petite native Lepista that we recently confirmed – via DNA extraction and sequencing – to be Lepista sordida sourced from a wild collection from New South Wales, this mushroom looks ideal for an easy to cultivate Lepista species.
We originally presumed this was Lepista sublilacina (which can only be differentiated from sordida via an examination of its spores) but DNA has confirmed it is actually sordida which is a known edible species found normally in Europe and the United States.
In culture this species is almost as aggressive as oyster mushrooms – with incredibly fast and thick growing tenacious mycelium – a characteristic that sets it apart from other edible Lepista species we have worked with (nuda and saeva). It also pins readily and easily on agar.
We have quickly concluded that this species is far more suitable for domestic cultivation than other Lepista species.
Thank you Carlos Yohan for these amazing pics!
The last pic is by me showing the amazing lilac purple staining of the mycelium of this species – it actually bleeds liquid this colour when cut.
