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Crepidotus malachius

by Michael Kuo, 5 August 2023

This Crepidotus species is found on the deadwood of hardwoods, and probably requires microscopic analysis (or DNA sequencing) to identify with confidence. Like most other species in the genus, Crepidotus malachius is a smallish pleurotoid mushroom with a brownish to whitish cap and a brown spore print. In terms of physical features it is a dead ringer for the field-guide species Crepidotus applanatus, but has somewhat larger spores. Europe's Crepidotus pini is also very similar, but is more easily separated because it grows on the deadwood of Scots pine, rather than hardwoods.

Description:

Ecology: Saprobic; growing alone or gregariously on the deadwood of hardwoods; originally described from "New England" (Berkeley & Curtis 1859); distributed in North America east of the Great Plains; widespread in Eurasia. The illustrated and described collections are from Illinois.

Cap: 2–4.5 cm across; semicircular or fan-shaped; bald overall, but often fuzzy toward the point of attachment; moist or dry; pale brownish, becoming grayish buff to whitish; hygrophanous; the margin finely lined at maturity.

Gills: Close or nearly distant; radiating; short-gills frequent; when young whitish; becoming dull brown with maturity.

Stem: Absent.

Flesh: Whitish to pale brownish; unchanging when sliced.

Odor: Not distinctive.

Chemical Reactions: KOH on cap surface negative.

Spore Print: Brown.

Microscopic Features: Spores 5.5–8 µm; globose or subglobose; finely roughened-punctate, or appearing nearly smooth; brownish yellow in KOH; inamyloid. Basidia 22–25 x 5–6 µm; subclavate; 4-sterigmate. Pleurocystidia not found. Cheilocystidia 35–45 x 6–10 µm; clavate to subclavate; smooth; thin-walled; hyaline in KOH. Pileipellis a cutis; elements 3–10 µm wide, hyaline in KOH, smooth. Clamp connections present.

REFERENCES: (M. J. Berkeley & M. A. Curtis, 1859) C. H. Peck, 1886. (Kauffman, 1918; Hesler & Smith, 1965; Roody, 2003; Bandala et al., 2008; Jančovičová et al., 2017; Elliott & Stephenson, 2018; Jančovičová et al., 2022.) Herb. Kuo 06090802, 05231002.

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Spores

Cheilocystidia

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Kuo, M. (2023, August). Crepidotus malachius. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/crepidotus_malachius.html