Stropharia hardii

[ Basidiomycetes > Agaricales > Strophariaceae > Stropharia . . . ]

by Michael Kuo

Stropharia hardii is most frequently encountered in the Ohio River watershed, but it is fairly widely distributed east of the Great Plains. It resembles an Agaricus in many ways, but its gills are attached to the stem and usually develop a purplish gray or purplish brown cast by maturity. It is a drab, dirty yellowish species that is unremarkable except for its fairly large size. The cap is smooth and dry, separating it from Stropharia kauffmanii (cap scaly) and Stropharia hornemannii (cap slimy).

Microscopic features include its small spores (when compared to many other species of Stropharia) and the presence of chrysocystidia (cystidia that stain yellowish in KOH when fresh, or appear filled with amorphous granular contents when revived from dried mushrooms).

The edibility of Stropharia hardii is questionable. Weber (1985) reports evidence that it may be mildly poisonous when eaten raw. It also sometimes has a foul taste, so I see no reason to toss the dice.

Description:

Ecology: Saprobic; growing alone or gregariously on woody debris in hardwood forests (but also reported on wood chips); summer and fall; east of the Great Plains.

Cap: 4-10 cm; convex, becoming broadly convex or flat; sticky at first, but soon dry; dirty yellow to brownish yellow; smooth or with inconspicuous dark brownish spots or tiny scales.

Gills: Attached to the stem; close; pale at first, becoming grayish or purplish brown--or merely dark brown.

Stem: 5-9 cm long; up to 1.5 cm thick; dry; with a ring; fairly smooth or finely hairy (but not conspicuously shaggy-scaly); white; base often with white mycelial threads.

Flesh: White.

Spore Print: Purple-brown to dark brown.

Microscopic Features: Spores 5-9 x 3-5 µ; smooth; elliptical. Chrysocystidia present.

REFERENCES: Atkinson, 1906. (Atkinson, 1906; Stamets, 1978; Smith, Smith & Weber, 1979; Weber & Smith, 1985; Phillips, 1991/2005; Lincoff, 1992; Roody, 2003; McNeil, 2006.) Herb. Kuo 08300205.

Further Online Information:

Stropharia hardii at Roger's Mushrooms

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Kuo, M. (2005, January). Stropharia hardii. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/stropharia_hardii.html