[Basidiomycota > Agaricales > Agaricaceae > Cystodermella . . . ]

Cystodermella granulosa

by Michael Kuo, 23 December 2025

The colors of this mushroom are somewhat variable, but in most collections the cap and stem are brown to orangish brown—or paler, when faded by sunlight. Like other cystodermas, Cystodermella granulosa has a cap densely covered with granular scales which, as the mushroom matures, may begin to separate or wear away. There is no true ring on the stem, and the spores are inamyloid. The brown cap, lack of a ring, and inamyloid spores will help to separate Cystodermella granulosa from other cystodermas, but orangish brown specimens may be difficult to separate from Cystodermella cinnabarina (usually orange, cystidia present) and Cystodermella adnatifolia (usually orange, no cystidia).

Cystoderma granulosum is a synonym.

Description:

Ecology: Saprobic; growing alone or gregariously under conifers or hardwoods; summer and fall; originally described from Germany (Batsch 1783), and epitypified from Estonia (Saar et al. 2009); fairly widely distributed in Europe and North America. The illustrated and described collection is from Illinois.

Cap: 1–5 cm; dry; convex at first, becoming broadly convex or flat; when fresh covered with small, granular scales; brown to orangish brown.

Gills: Attached to the stem; close; short-gills frequent; whitish to pale yellow.

Stem: 2–4 cm long; up to 1 cm thick; equal; dry; pale and bald at the apex; sheathed below with brown to orangish brown granular scales; basal mycelium white.

Flesh: Whitish to pale yellow; unchanging when sliced.

Odor and Taste: Odor slightly foul.

Spore Print: White.

Microscopic Features: Spores 3–4 x 2–3 µm; ellipsoid; smooth; inamyloid; hyaline in KOH. Basidia 18–22 x 3–5 µm; clavate; 4-sterigmate. Hymenial cystidia not found. Pileipellis a trichoderm of chained, smooth elements 6–15 µm wide, with brown walls in KOH. Clamp connections present.

REFERENCES: (A. J. G. K. Batsch, 1783) H. Harmaja, 2002. (Kauffman, 1918; Graham, 1944; Smith & Singer, 1945; Smith & Singer, 1948; Phillips, 1991/2005; Breitenbach & Kränzlin, 1995; Barron, 1999; Nonis, 2001; Harmaja, 2002; Saar, 2003; McNeil, 2006; Boccardo et al., 2008; Saar et al., 2009; Trudell & Ammirati, 2009; Buczacki et al., 2012; Saar, 2012; Saar & Voitk, 2013; Kuo & Methven, 2014; Gminder & Böhning, 2017; Læssøe & Petersen, 2019; Kibby, 2020; McKnight et al., 2021.) Herb. Kuo 05300404.

This site contains no information about the edibility or toxicity of mushrooms.

Spore print

Spores

Pileipellis

© MushroomExpert.Com

Cite this page as:

Kuo, M. (2025, December). Cystodermella granulosa. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/cystodermella_granulosa.html