The North American species of Pholiota, by Alexander H. Smith and L. R. Hesler.

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The North American Species of Pholiota

Basidia 18-24 (26) x 7-9 At, 4-spored, clavate, hyaline to yellowish
in KOH or Melzer's reagent. Pleurocystidia 28-40 x 8-14 /,, subovate,
broadly subfusoid utriform or fusoid-ventricose with a short neck and
obtuse apex, thin-walled, in H20 mounts with amorphous debris over
apex, in KOH with some refractive particles in neck or an amorphousrefractive body filling the tip; smooth, content yellowish and homogeneous in Melzer's reagent. Cheilocystidia 24-33 x 7-10 /u, more frequently
ovate to subfusoid than any other shape but generally like the pleurocystidia. Caulocystidia present (rarely) as scattered cells similar to
cheilocystidia near stipe apex, walls thin, smooth and yellowish in KOH,
content homogeneous.
Gill trama a central area of floccose subinterwoven hyphae 3-5 (10)
/t broad (more inflated in age), hyphal walls thin, smooth, hyaline or
nearly so in KOH and merely yellowish in Melzer's reagent; subhymenium a relatively broad well-developed layer of interwoven narrow hyaline
gelatinous hyphae. Pileus cutis a well developed layer of subgelatinous
hyphae 3-5 /u diam. with dull tawny bands and spirals of encrusting
material; hypodermial zone of yellow to yellow-brown floccose nearly
smooth hyphae more compactly arranged than in the epicuticular layer.
Context hyphae interwoven, smooth, cells inflated, walls thin, yellowish
to hyaline in KOH, yellowish in Melzer's reagent. Clamp connections
present.
HABIT, HABITAT, AND DISTRIBUTION: On conifers, often mossy, logs and
debris, June-October, Michigan, Idaho, and Washington; also in Canada
(Ontario).
OBSERVATIONS: The small, pale, viscid, quickly drying pileus and
the short, slender, woolly or fibrillose stipe are field characteristics of this
species. It has shorter pleurocystidia and cheilocystidia than some of its
relatives. European authors make no mention of an odor; in our collections a faint fragrance was noted. The pleurocystidia appear to be intermediate between chrysocystidia and leptocystidia. The very well developed gelatinous subhymenium and the brown spore deposit point
clearly to Pholiota as the logical genus for this species.
MATERIAL EXAMINED: CALIFORNIA: Smith 3627, 3679, 3768, 3828,
8278, 8644, 8775, 8896, 8966, 9059, 9338, 9373, 9433, 55959, Dec. 1956;
IDAHO: Smith 54637, 70661; MICHIGAN: Smith 141349, 43742, 44043,
64692; OREGON: Smith 19661, 19902, 24691, 28552, 28558; WASHINGTON: Murrill 691, (type of Naucoria caespitosa). Smith 13514, 14477,
14504, 14605, 29660, 30884, 40028, 40366, 48254, 48259; CANADA (ONTARIO): Smith 61521; ENGLAND: Smith 63151; SWITZERLAND:
Favre 9-5-46.
164. Pholiota gregariiformis (Murr.) comb. nov.
Hebeloma gregariiforme Murrill, North Amer. Fl. 10: 217. 1917.
Illustrations: Text figs. 359-361; pl. 59b.