Swollen-stalked Catathelasma
An unforgettable mushroom that can reach huge size is found in conifer forests in the fall in the PNW...the Swollen-stalked Catathelasma. Caps can reach as much as 40 cm in diameter with stalks 8-18 cm long and up to 8 cm broad. The flesh is very dense and firm, with the result that specimens can weigh 300-800 grams on average with a really large one weighing up to 1.5 kg. It may be found singly or at times in arcs. Caps are white, but may develop grayish spots and fibrils. The gills are strongly decurrent, narrow, crowded and white and produce white spores. The odor is mild to farinaceous, as is the taste. A singular feature is the presence of a double veil. The upper inner one is flaring and strongly developed, while the lower one is more ragged and thin. The stipes are white, dense, ventricose and tapering basally. They are deeply rooted in the substrate. It helps to have a trowel to dig them out. This is an edible species, but the dense texture of the flesh makes long and slow cooking desirable. It is a species with the same stature as the matsutake, but is easily separated by virtue or the decurrent gills and farinaceous rather than spicy odor. Even more commonly encountered in western North America is Cathelasma imperiale which differs by being slightly larger and some shade of brown to reddish or yellowish brown in color. It has a broader holoarctic distribution but is not found in eastern North America where C. ventricisum is fairly common.