Catathelasma imperiale

Catathelasma imperiale (Fr.) Singer (illustrated 25% life size) Cap 12–40cm across, convex, becoming flat, margin incurved at first; blackish to dingy brown; slightly sticky, later dry, breaking up into patches. Stem 120–180×50–80mm, tapering to a rooting base; dry, covered by a pinky-brown, membranous sheath. Flesh white; hard, thick; taste and smell mealy. Gills decurrent, close, narrow becoming broad; yellowish to pale greenish-grey. Spores 11–14×4–5.5¼, cylindrical, smooth; amyloid. Spore print white. Habitat in conifer woods and parks; late summer to autumn. Rare in mainland Europe, not recorded for Britain. Edible.