Pluteus salicinus

[ Basidiomycetes > Agaricales > Pluteaceae > Pluteus . . . ]

by Michael Kuo

Only a few species of Pluteus have stems that bruise and discolor blue to greenish, and Pluteus salicinus can be distinguished from the others by its fairly smooth cap and its unlined cap margin. Microscopic features and the fact that its gill edges discolor somewhat grayish also separate it from the other blue-stainers. The cap of Pluteus salicinus may have bluish tints in age, but the stem is a more reliable location to look for the staining reaction.

I have no information on the edibility of Pluteus salicinus; I don't recommend experimenting. Besides, the species has a disagreeable odor and taste.

Description:

Ecology: Saprobic on decaying hardwood logs and debris; growing alone or gregariously; summer and fall; east of the Great Plains.

Cap: 3-5 cm; convex becoming broadly convex or flat, sometimes with a central depression or a central bump; dark grayish brown, sometimes developing bluish tints in age; smooth or with scattered brownish fibers; the margin not lined.

Gills: Free from the stem; close or crowded; whitish at first, becoming pinkish; the edges sometimes discoloring or bruising grayish.

Stem: 4-7 cm long; up to .5 cm thick; equal; smooth; whitish, staining bluish to greenish or olive near the base.

Flesh: Insubstantial; pale.

Odor and Taste: Unpleasant.

Spore Print: Pink.

Microscopic Features: Spores 7-9 x 5-6 µ; elliptical; smooth. Pleurocystidia 50-70 x 11-18 µ; with 3-5 horn-like projections.

REFERENCES: (Persoon, 1798) Kummer, 1871. (Fries, 1821; Saccardo, 1887; Kauffman, 1918; Singer, 1956; Smith, Smith & Weber, 1979; McNeil, 2006.)

Several varieties of Pluteus salicinus have been described, including Pluteus salicinus var. achloes, which does not stain blue according to Singer (1956), but does according to Smith, Smith & Weber (1979).

Further Online Information:

Pluteus salicinus at Roger's Mushrooms
Pluteus salicinus at Fungi of Poland

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Cite this page as:

Kuo, M. (2004, December). Pluteus salicinus. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/pluteus_salicinus.html