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Psathyrella cystidiosa

[ Basidiomycetes > Agaricales > Coprinaceae > Psathyrella . . . ]

by Michael Kuo

Psathyrella cystidiosa was named by Peck (1913) on the basis of a collection from Minneapolis, and various subsequent authors (e.g. Smith, 1972; McLaughlin, 1999; Padamsee and collaborators, 2008) have treated the species as endemic to Minnesota. However, it is rarely collected, and Psathyrella cystidiosa has even made the list of endangered fungi at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

If I have identified it correctly, the illustrated collection supports the idea that Psathyrella cystidiosa may be more widespread than previously believed; the collection was made in central Illinois (Logan County) in 2002, where about 20 specimens were scattered in a hardwood forest. The species, as it was re-described by Smith, is distinct from similar species of Psathyrella with thick-walled cystidia by virtue of the very thick (> 2 µ), colorless walls; similar species have cystidia with somewhat thinner and/or colored walls.

Description:

Ecology: Saprobic; growing alone or gregariously in woods; late summer; Minnesota and Illinois.

Cap: 2-5 cm; convex to broadly convex, broadly bell-shaped, or nearly flat; bald; brown, changing color markedly as it dries out to yellowish buff or brownish; the margin becoming finely lined; without partial veil remnants.

Gills: Attached to the stem; close or crowded; whitish at first, becoming purplish brown.

Stem: 4-7 cm long; 2-7 mm thick; more or less equal; white; hollowing; finely silky near the apex but bald below; lacking a ring.

Flesh: Thin; fragile; whitish.

Odor and Taste: Not distinctive.

Spore Print: Dark brown to purplish brown.

Microscopic Features: Spores 7-9.5 x 4-5 µ; ellipsoid; smooth; with a pore but not truncated; brown in KOH. Pleurocystidia abundant; fusoid to fusoid-ventricose; hyaline in KOH; with thick walls measuring over 2 µ in the apex; 60-80 x 12-20 µ. Cheilocystidia similar to pleurocystidia; to about 40 x 15 µ; sphaeropedunculate elements also present on gill edges. Pileipellis hymeniform-cellular.


REFERENCES: (Peck, 1913) Smith, 1972. (Saccardo, 1925; Smith, 1972.) Herb. Kuo 08010204.


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Psathyrella cystidiosa

Psathyrella cystidiosa
Spore Print

Psathyrella cystidiosa
Spores

Psathyrella cystidiosa
Pleurocystidia

Psathyrella cystidiosa
Pleurocystidium

Psathyrella cystidiosa
Cheilocystidium



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Cite this page as:

Kuo, M. (2011, January). Psathyrella cystidiosa. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/psathyrella_cystidiosa.html