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The Veil

The next group of features that you want to look for comes about as the mushroom is developing. When a mushroom starts growing it tries not to dry out, which is hard for the gills not to do because there is so much surface area. A lot of mushrooms deal with this problem by forming a veil. (This is a thin layer of tissue.) Sometimes this veil covers the entire mushroom (the universal veil) — sometimes just the cap (a partial veil), and sometimes there are several veils (or layers) that may cover both. When we find the mushroom it is older and in many cases the veil has broken or vanished. Some of the characters that it leaves behind are:

A volva or cup at the base of the stipe. This is where the veil that covered the entire mushroom was attached. It can have several shapes and often these shapes are important in identifying the mushroom to species.
Patches on the top of the cap are remnants of the veil that covered the cap. These can vanish quickly for some kinds of mushrooms and are not usually the main feature in identifying a mushroom, but can sometimes be very important.
A ring on the stem is an important piece of evidence. Like the patches, the weather can take these away rather quickly for some mushrooms, but a ring is very important, because it means that the mushroom developed with a veil around its cap attached to its stem. Sometimes the ring can be thick and sometimes it is just a few darkened threads on the stem.
The veil itself or veil remnants can often be found in many mushrooms at least partially attached to the edge of the cap. Like the ring, sometimes it is thick and sometimes very thin like a spider’s web.
All four of these items are important when found. The most common found of these is a ring. But if you see a cup at the base of the stem and free gills, you can immediately place the mushroom into just a few groups: Amanita or Volvariella. Likewise, if you see a spiderweb-like veil, you can say (with a few exceptions) that the mushroom you have is a Cortinarius.
Another comment about rings and veils is that they are good places for spores to get trapped. So by looking closely at the ring or veil, you can often see a dusting of spores and save the trouble of making a spore print. The same is true about leaves under the caps as well as other mushrooms growing up beneath their older siblings.

If You Suspect a Poisoning
If you suspect you have consumed a poisonous mushroom, contact a physician, the closest hospital ER, poison control center, or dial 911, depending on the severity of the reaction.

US Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
The North American Mycological Association (NAMA) has information that may also be of help. Click here.
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 We do not ID mushrooms through this website. 
If you are in need of an ID consider uploading quality photos with multiple views of your specimen and descriptions of your find to Mushroom Observer or iNaturalist including our projects or post in Wild Food Wisconsin or Mushroom Identification Group.

If you contact us and provide a way to get back to you, we may be able to provide suggestions for more identification resources you can use.
You are always responsible for your own decisions taken on the basis of identification resources.

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Wisconsin Mycological Society

Wisconsin Mycological Society (WMS) is dedicated to the study and enjoyment of mushrooms and other fungi throughout the state of Wisconsin. Education, safety, sustainability, community, and connecting with nature are our goals. 

We are affiliated with NAMA, a society that covers all of North America and includes many affiliate clubs. We also love to support regional  Wisconsin clubs and fungi related events. This includes the Madison Mycological Society and the Northwestern Wisconsin MycoEnthusiasts.

If you run or want to start a regional group, or one focused on a unique mycological topic, please do reach out to us.