malacothrix's Identifications

Voucher collection 10522dll was collected on 13 November 2021 from the McKay tract forest east of Winship Middle School in Cutten, Humboldt County, California. The collection consisted of 3 fruiting bodies scattered in redwood branchlet humus on the edge forest dominated by Coast Redwood and Douglas fir. Microscopic and Macrosopic Features were described, Photos taken by Pamela Largent, and an ITS sequence was provided by Sharon Squazzo.

Description of the Microscopic Features of 10522dll

Basidiospores 5–6 angled, angle distinct, spore apex acute or obtuse, most spores with a single droplet, isodiametric to heterodiametric in profile view, on the average isodiametric, 7.0–9.5 × 5.0–7.0 μm (xavg = 8.3 × 6.14 μm 8.1 × 7.3 ± 0.47 μm; Q = 1.17–1.61; Qavg = 1.35 ± 0.10; n = 49).
Basidia clavate and tapering to a narrow base or cylindro-clavate and narrowing to a moderately broad base, not separable when crushed, 29.–44.5 × 8.–10.4 μm (xavg = 36.6 × 9.4 μm; Q = 3.2–4.94; Qavg =3.2 ± 0.55; n = 54); 4-sterigmate, often thin and thread-like.
Cheilocystidia observed only from gill sections were scattered to abundant , cylindrical, colorless, 23.0–103.0 × 3.0–19.5 μm (xavg = 50.8 × 8.9 μm; Q = 3.0–9.9; Qavg = 6.16 and; n= 17).
In mature specimens the Pileipellis up to ~220 μm deep and a Palisadoderm on the pileus disc, composed of numerous erect, tightly entangled hyphae with the terminal 2 to 3 cells inflated and with a greyish blue intracellular pigment that has a distinct brownish cast in 3% KOH; versiform in shape (cylindrical, clavate, fusiform, napiform, and vesiculate), 18.0–141.5 × 6.0–75.0 μm (xavg = 70.3 × 19.6 μm; Q = 1.3–12.5; Qavg = 4.08; n = 56)
Stiptipellis longitudinal stipe sections at the stipe apex composed of abundant, erect to at time semi-erect, colorless caulocystidia in between which are a layer of 3–4 prostrate colorless hyphae, everywhere else the clusters of caulocystidia are absent; Caulocystidia cylindrical and therefore resemble the cheilocystidia in shape, measure 9.0–45.5 × 2.0–9.5 greyish blue intracellular pigment that has a distinct brownish cast in 3% KOH (xavg = 26.8 × 5.4 μm; Q = 3.2–11.4; Qavg = 5.06; n = 16).
Clamp connections absent in all tissue.
Pigment in Pileipellis and Pileocystidia have a greyish blue intracellular pigment that has a distinct brownish cast in 3% KOH, Stipitipellis colorless in 3% KOH, encrusted on the outer walls of the hyphae in the pileus trama, the encrustations in the pileus are distinct, those in the stipe trama are indistinct. The pigment in the gill trama was not recorded.
Oleiferous Hyphae abundant in the pileus, lamellar, and stipe tramas.
Lipoidal Globules in Pileipellis and above in 3 % KOH.
Stipe Tramal hyphae without granules.

Comments: The species has broadly clavate bluish grey pileus that becomes greyish with maturity; a tomentulose pileus and minutely squamulose elsewhere which when mature the squamules are distinct from grey pileus. The pileus margin becomes wavy and lobed with maturity. The pileus margin is opaque (= not translucent-striate) at all times. The odor and taste are mild. The distinct microscopic features: length of the 5-6 angled basidiospores is less than 10 μm, it has cylindrical, colorless cheilocystidia and caulocystidia, a palisadoderm pileipellis, versiform pileocystidia, and abundant granules. It my 1994, this collection keys out to Leptonia foliocontusa var. discolor. In 2009, this species was treated as synonym of Entoloma foliocontusum (Largent) Noordel. & Co-David. Unfortunately, the variety was not treated as a synonym in the 2009 publication

Stipe texture and pileus shape of younger ones made me think Mycena but probably not. Xeromphalina? Fruiting from soil in streambank with Abies magnifica and Pinus jeffreyi nearby. KOH brown. Odorless. Chrysomphalina aurantiaca and Galerina sp. in close proximity. KOH brown. Odorless.

COLLECTION SPECIMEN

-found emerging from heavily decayed hardwood, likely alder
-yellow-orange to pink tones
-approximately 1cm in length
-larvae segmented, approx 2.5cm in length
-larvae covered in creamy yellow matter, mycelial?
-under hand lens, the tip is covered in minute bumps w/ dark pores
-spore producing surface seems to wrap around the 'stipe' with small point protruding at the tip (visible in last pic)

Small brown fungi with dark, sunken center and striate cap,
Yellow at base darkening upwards,
White, Subdecurrent gills,
Growing in moss next to trail,
Near alder/sitka spruce,
White UV on gills,
Indistinct taste,
No odor