North American Mushrooms, including his and Hope’s autographs. I do remember him saying he found G. maculatus only with larch. But in talking with him, I also recall that, like many other mycologists of the time, usually the probable mycorrhizal hosts near collections were not taken into account. It’s a feature I’d like to see added to all observations, although I think it unlikely to happen. It’s hard enough to find someone giving an ID among mycologists, which is why I enjoy Mushroom Observer so much. To expect host IDs as well may be asking too much of most.

I believe that after talking to Orson for an hour or so at the OMS Fall Forage in 1998, he began to see some correlations between host and mycorrhizae that he had not been exposed to before. It helps to have grown several mycorrhizal fungi, including Gomphidius, in making these statements. While I have not grown G. maculatus, several other Gomphidius are relatively easy to grow in single-species plantations here in Oregon. I wish more people would try it. I think I have grown G. sub roseus and G. oregonensis myself. But at the time distinquishing roseus and subroseus was probably beyond my skills.

G. maculatus always grows with larches. G. glutinosus always grows with spruces in Europe, in America with others too but not larches.
I repeat I simply think this is G. glutinosus.

I said that maculatus usually has no yellow at the base(Miller), so I agree the yellow is not a deal breaker, but I think it shouldn’t be as strong as the yellow shown here.

According to Orson Miller, who worked extensively with this genus, the strongest feature of the base are the dark ochre to purplish black hairs that blacken with handling, which looks to be absent in this obs. Miller is adament that there are no veil remnants on the stipe. If you have his “North American Mushrooms” (2006), check out his photo of it on page 219. Miller also stressed that worldwide it is always associated with larch rather than spruce/fir. I disagree that this obs shows no indication of slime on the cap. It’s covered with debris and there are those shiny highlights in a couple of the photos, but that wouldn’t argue against maculata according to Miller who says the pilius is glutenous.

At least G. maculatus in original sense (growing in Europe) has a yellow stipe base. I can not think of any Gomphidius without yellow in the base in Europe but then again we do not have many of them.
I think your find is a simple G. glutinosus.
Yes, this year is more than catastrophic here too. Whereas mere 30 kilometers from where I live have been heaviest rainfalls and more to the west even rainfalls with 177 l/m (!) in 1,5 hs at me there has been very very little to no rain since last fall! I haven’t found any mushroom in my woods for the whole year and am desperate. Yet we still stick to oil and gas as fuel. I have given up hope on pannonic climate to ever get enough rain again. At the easternmost part of Austria where I am the land is literally turning into desert slowly but surely. I am pondering moving away from here.

I tried it and found it … inconclusive. When talking about eastern B.C. and this particular year, I would still expect to see more slime on the cap and stipe for most Gomphidius. The stature of the fungus suggests it has not been lacking available water. Yet there is no indication of slime anywhere. I’m surprised a Gomphidius was found this early in the year.

Drew believes G. maculatus has no yellow at base. But Arora et al. lump it with yellow-based Gomphidius. And yellow base of stipe is so ubiquitous for Gomphidius it is, in my opinion, not the best characteristic for identification.

For those not from the PNW, abundant rainfall this spring has been surprising while the rest of the country is baking. Oregon, for instance, has had record or near-record rainfall during March, April, and June this year.

Probably microscopy the best indication here. But single fruiting body also suggestive. Lack of slime also suggestive.

On a side note, I have just found that Gomphidius is known to concentrate up to 117,000,000 bequarels of Cesium-134 after Chernobyl in 1993. (http://dl.begellhouse.com/...) Suddenly I’m not much interested in the culinary properties of Gomphidius. But I hope Fukushima is taking note of what Chernobyl has already provided, in terms of Cesium remediation.

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/gomphidius.html

lacks veil remnants on the stipe and usually has no yellow at the base.

Or was the one of many?