Hygrocybe singeri

[ Basidiomycetes > Agaricales > Tricholomataceae > Hygrocybe . . . ]

by Michael Kuo

Hygrocybe singeri is essentially a slimy-stemmed version of the Witch's Hat, Hygrocybe conica. Like its more familiar cousin, Hygrocybe singeri discolors black and has a red to orange, conical cap. But while the stem of Hygrocybe conica is dry or faintly greasy, the stem of Hygrocybe singeri is truly slimy, making it difficult to pick. Whether or not this distinction is actually reflective of significant genetic difference has yet to be investigated, to my knowledge.

Description:

Ecology: Saprobic under hardwoods or conifers; usually growing scattered; spring through fall, or in winter in warmer climates; probably widely distributed in North America (recorded in California, the Pacific Northwest, Michigan, and Mexico).

Cap: 1-6 cm; conic, becoming broadly conic; thickly slimy when fresh; smooth; red to reddish orange, orange, or yellow; blackening with age or when bruised.

Gills: Narrowly attached to the stem; close or nearly distant; thick and waxy; pale orangish yellow or greenish yellow; often blackening when bruised.

Stem: 4-13 cm long; up to 1.5 cm thick; equal; thickly slimy; finely grooved lengthwise; orangish yellow to yellow; blackening with age or when bruised.

Flesh: Thin; yellowish; watery; blackening.

Odor and Taste: Not distinctive.

Spore Print: White.

Microscopic Features: Spores 9-13 x 5-7 µ; smooth; more or less elliptical. Cystidia absent. Gill tissue parallel. Pileipellis a thick ixotrichoderm.

REFERENCES: (Smith & Hesler, 1954) Singer, 1958. (Hesler and Smith, 1963; Largent, 1985.) Herb. Kuo 01160502.

Hygrophorus singeri is a synonym.

Further Online Information:

Hygrophorus singeri in Hesler & Smith (1963)
Hygrocybe singeri at MykoWeb

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Cite this page as:

Kuo, M. (2007, January). Hygrocybe singeri. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/hygrocybe_singeri.html