Entoloma strictius

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by Michael Kuo

Entoloma strictius has a brownish, somewhat pointed cap, and a stem that is long, grayish, and twisted--as though someone tried to "unscrew" the mushroom from the ground but gave up. Other identifying features include its lined cap margin, its mild or faintly disagreeable (but not mealy) taste, and its pinkish mature gills. However, confusion with Entoloma vernum and a good handful of similar species is probably inevitable, especially if it is spring and you are in eastern North America. Microscopic features (see below) must ultimately be matched to be certain of identification.

A recent study of hundreds of Entoloma strictius specimens from the northern and southern hemispheres discovered that the stem is twisted counterclockwise above the equator, but clockwise in the south. The authors propose the names Entoloma strictius var. septentrio-torquescens and Entoloma strictius var. meridio-torquenscens to indicate the difference--and yes, I am making this up. But I have never seen, in real life or in a photo, a specimen that wasn't twisted counterclockwise. What do you make of that?

Entoloma strictius is poisonous.

Description:

Ecology: Saprobic; growing alone, scattered, or gregariously under conifers or in mixed woods, usually in damp areas; occasionally fruiting from well rotted wood; April through October; widely distributed in eastern North America and especially common in the Ohio River watershed. A similar or identical species is reported by Arora (1986), fruiting from fall through spring in California.

Cap: 2-7 cm; broadly convex, broadly conical or broadly bell-shaped, usually with a distinct but small pointed center; smooth or finely silky; grayish brown; losing color markedly as it dries out; the margin finely lined, especially when wet.

Gills: Attached to the stem or nearly free from it; close; whitish at first, eventually pinkish.

Stem: 5-10 cm long; 2-4 mm thick; silky or finely hairy; hollow; splitting lengthwise easily; twisted; colored like the cap, or grayish; with white mycelium at the base.

Flesh: Thin; fragile; whitish, or brownish when wet.

Odor and Taste: Odor mild or slightly disagreeable, but not mealy; taste not distinctive.

Spore Print: Pink.

Microscopic Features: Spores 10-13 x 7.5-9 µ; 5- or 6-sided. Cystidia absent. Pileipellis elements repent; brownish in KOH; frequently uplifted as slender pileocystidia.

REFERENCES: (Peck, 1870) Saccardo, 1887. (Saccardo, 1887; Kauffman, 1918; Hesler, 1967; Smith, Smith & Weber, 1979; Arora, 1986; Noordeloos, 1988; Lincoff, 1992; Metzler & Metzler, 1992; Largent, 1994; Miller & Miller, 2006.) Herb. Kuo 10150402.

Synonyms: Nolanea stricta, Entoloma strictior, Rhodopyllus strictior--but not Entoloma strictipes (Peck) Hesler.

Hesler (1967) records two varieties of Entoloma strictius: Entoloma strictius var. isabellinus, with buff to yellowish colors; and Entoloma strictius var. cystidiosum, with prominent cheilocystidia. However, Noordeloos (1988) doubts that the latter variety is closely related to Entoloma strictius.

John Crabtree writes: "I was on your web site and read that you had never seen Entoloma strictius with a clockwise helix. I attach a photograph taken 12 June 2002."

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Cite this page as:

Kuo, M. (2005, February). Entoloma strictius. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/entoloma_strictius.html