Not sure if Fungal. . .micro seems possible but no spores seen.
thanks to @damontighe for bringing this species to my attention
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/99457342
Fungee obs
Gymnopus spongiosus
Nanopore confirms ID at 100%
Blue/gray mushroom growing in soil substrate beneath a hibiscus plant.
Identified within a Mycology course at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse
Student collection for medical mycology
Isolated from professor's barn ~1/26/2024
Yellow orangey semi-concentric colonies that grows black spores, produces dark orange metabolites in PDA plate
Rhizoctonia solani causes 'black scurf' disease of potatoes. Photo shows raised sclerotia on seed potatoes (Agria variety) which could serve as a source of inoculum when the potatoes are planted.
Growing in soil.
KOH not reactive; UV egg reactive (orange); odor very bad like feces and death; taste not tested; size 4 cm wide x 7.5 cm height.
Microscopic work by @jackjohnsonn below:
From a quick look into it, the margins of difference between descriptions of C. archeri and A. rubra are slight. C. archeri is described as having minutely shorter spores (one half a micron), and sphaerocysts of up to 5um smaller than those of A. rubra. That being said, the microscopy is consistent with C. archeri on both accounts.
Spores cylindric, hyaline, sometimes with guttules.
(4.5) 4.8 - 6 (6.8) × (1.6) 1.7 - 2.1 (2.2) µm
Q = (2.1) 2.7 - 3.1 (3.5) ; N = 30
Me = 5.5 × 1.9 µm ; Qe = 2.9
Sphaerocysts
15 - 36.4
Me = 25 um ; N = 25
Micro sources I compared to
https://www.mushroomexpert.com/clathrus_archeri.html
https://ultimate-mushroom.com/poisonous/185-aseroe-rubra.html