Panellus stipticus

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by Michael Kuo

Panellus stipticus is a widely distributed, hardwood-rotting saprobe, but it is more common in eastern North America than in the West. It can be recognized by its small size (caps 1-3 cm across); the tiny, lateral stem that terminates in an abrupt line where it meets the gills; the tan to whitish, woolly cap surface; the (usually) bitter taste; and the white spore print. It is quite tough, and revives in rainwater after drying out, like many Marasmius species.

This little mushroom has reportedly been used as a styptic (blood thickening) agent, and it apparently has luminescent gills. I have not had very good luck seeing the luminescence of glow-in-the-dark mushrooms (see Omphalotus illudens for details), so I have not even tried to observe the phenomenon with Panellus stipticus. Ten minutes in a completely dark room will apparently suffice, but I can think of better things to do in a completely dark room for ten minutes than stare at a mushroom.

Description:

Ecology: Saprobic on the wood of hardwoods; usually growing in shelving clusters; spring through fall (also winter in warm climates, or during winter warm spells in temperate areas); widely distributed in North America but more common in the east.

Cap: 1-3 cm wide; convex with an inrolled margin, becoming planoconvex with the margin even or slightly curved under; semicircular to kidney-shaped or irregular in outline; dry; finely velvety to woolly; often becoming wrinkled and somewhat cracked-scaly in age; tan to pale yellowish brown, sometimes fading to off-white.

Gills: Terminating abruptly at the stem; close; often forked; with cross-veins; pale yellowish brown.

Stem: Up to about 1 x .5 cm; lateral or off-center; usually fuzzy-velvety with whitish, tan, or rusty brown fuzz.

Flesh: Whitish or pale brownish; tough.

Odor and Taste: Odor not distinctive; taste usually bitter, but mild in some collections.

Spore Print: White.

Chemical Reactions: KOH on cap surface negative.

Microscopic Features: Spores 3-5 x 1-3 µ; elliptical to suballantoid; smooth; amyloid. Cheilocystidia prominent and abundant; up to 45 x 6 µ; variously shaped; occasionally branched. Lamellar trama composed of thick-walled hyphae. Pileipellis a densely tangled cutis with some erect elements; terminal elements occasionally cystidium-like or forked. Clamp connections present.

REFERENCES: (Bulliard, 1783) Karsten, 1879. (Fries, 1821; Saccardo, 1887; Kauffman, 1918; Miller, 1970; Smith, Smith & Weber, 1979; Arora, 1986; Breitenbach, J. & Kränzlin, 1991; Phillips, 1991/2005; Lincoff, 1992; Barron, 1999; Roody, 2003; McNeil, 2006; Miller & Miller, 2006.) Herb. Kuo 10010406, 10220403, 09270505.

"Panellus stypticus" is an alternate spelling.

Further Online Information:

Panellus stypticus at Roger's Mushrooms

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Cite this page as:

Kuo, M. (2007, April). Panellus stipticus. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/panellus_stipticus.html