Peeling and preparing a few mushrooms for the drier and thought it may be fun to show you how much Catathelasma ventricosum (swollen stalk cat) and White matsutake (pine mushroom) look-alike. Check out the 5 mushrooms to the left of the bowl.
So here is a the close up, click on to see better——a sniff test would make it to easy,—– which mushroom of these 5 is the Cat?
1left 
I have no idea – given a wild guess I would say the one on the far right is the cat. You mentioned “sniff test” How would you describe the aromas of the cat vs. the white mastutake?
Close mobius, but that one is a pine. A popular description for white matsutake in North America is (cinnamon and sweaty socks), I disagree though there are hints of those in there, the scent is strong but I find it complex and pleasantly intense — and for the Cat it is back in the average mushroomy aroma range with a cucumbery or watermelon rind scent. Thanks for playing the game. ciao
Haha. Thanks 1left. That’s why I don’t go pickin’ mushrooms myself. Hope you have a great weekend. 🙂
Definitely the one in the middle. It has the tell-signs of cracking on the cap, a more bulbous look to it…. am I right, am I right? What did I win?
Correct, I’m surprised someone from the west coast got this one as this mushroom is supposedly rare out there, though you have lots of larger Catathelasma imperialis (Imperial Cat) they say? Thanks for playing along, your correct answer is prizeless here. cheers
Yes but they look incredibly similar. I learned about Cats a few years back when, upon discovering them growing at an elevation of about 5000 ft, here in Oregon. I jump for joy thinking I had found my first group of American matsutake (Tricholoma magnivelare), only to realize that I had been duped. Cats are pretty sly.