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The Genus Mycena [ Basidiomycetes > Agaricales > Tricholomataceae . . . ] by Michael Kuo Some of the most beautiful and elegant mushrooms on earth, in my opinion, are included in the genus Mycena. They are extremely small mushrooms, rarely exceeding a few centimeters in diameter and often only reaching diameters of a few millimeters. They are frequently overlooked, unless they happen to be growing in large clusters. But for those who are willing to slow down and appreciate the beauty of small things, they can be quite stunning. The tell-tale characteristics of the genus include a white spore print, a small conical or bell-shaped cap, and a thin stem that is not tough or wiry. A few species, like Mycena leaiana, are brightly colored, but most are gray or brown. Alexander Smith's 1947 monograph of Mycena (online here) contains 232 species, and the number has only increased since. A great deal of emphasis in Mycena taxonomy is placed on microscopic features like cystidia (specialized sterile cells in the gills). Thus most of us have little chance of successfully identifying more than ten or twenty species. The mushrooms in Mycena are too small to be considered for the table; most species would have to be collected in such great quantities that the endeavor would be ridiculous. Edibility is not known for most of the species, a few are suspected to contain toxins, and the ones that are officially "edible" are not at all easy to identify with certainty. Below are links to various Mycena species pages online, at MushroomExpert.Com and elsewhere, and a list of printed Mycena resources. |
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At MushroomExpert.Com: Mycena corticola: East of the Great Plains; found on bark of standing or fallen trees; tiny; cap purple-brown fading to brownish, pleated; cap and stem covered with tiny, pale fibrils. Mycena galericulata: Widely distributed; found in clusters on hardwood logs; cap brownish and whitish; stem whitish above, brownish below; taste mealy. Mycena haematopus: Widely distributed; found in clusters on wood; cap reddish or brownish red; stem reddish, exuding a purple juice when squeezed; taste mild. Mycena leaiana: East of the Rocky Mountains; found in clusters on hardwood logs; cap orange; stem orange; taste mild or slightly mealy. Mycena leptocephala: Widely distributed; found on the ground under conifers; cap fairly large, black to gray; odor strongly of bleach. Mycena luteopallens: East of the Rocky Mountains; found in clusters of two or four, arising from walnut or hickory shells; cap yellow to orange yellow, fading quickly; stem yellowish; taste mild. Mycena pura: Widely distributed; scattered or gregariously on the forest floor; odor and taste radishlike; colors variable, but typically purplish. Mycena semivestipes: East of the Great Plains; found in dense clusters on the wood of hardwoods; cap brown; stem pale above and brown below; odor bleach-like. Mycena subcaerulea: East of the Great Plains; found alone or in small groups on hardwoods stumps; cap bluish, becoming brown with a bluish margin; stem bluish to brownish. Other Pages Online: Smith, A. H. (1947) North American Species of Mycena At MykoWeb's California Fungi: Mycena adscendens At Fungi of Poland: Mycena acicula At Agaricales of the Hawaiian Islands: Mycena alphitophora Miller, A: Trial Key to the MYCENOID SPECIES in the Pacific Northwest Mycena Page: A Key to the Mycenas of Norway References Arora, D. (1986). Mushrooms demystified: A comprehensive guide to the fleshy fungi. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press. 959 pp. Bermudes, D. et al. (1992). Low-level bioluminescence detected in Mycena haematopus basidiocarps. Mycological Research 84: 799-802. Desjardin, D. E. & Bessette, A. E. (1997). A new Mycena from New York. Mycotaxon 62: 299-303. Smith, A. H. (1947). North American species of Mycena. Ann Arbor: U Michigan P. 521 pp. An online version of this book is available here, at the University of Michigan Herbarium. Smith, A. H., Smith, H. V. & Weber, N. S. (1979). How to know the gilled mushrooms. Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown. 334 pp. Cite this page as: Kuo, M. (2004, November). The genus Mycena. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/mycena.html |