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

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The North American Species of Pholiota

layer of hyphae with more or less platelike rusty brown incrustation, the
hyplhae of various diameters but thin-walled. Context hyphae thin-walled,
hyaline in KOH or nearly so, cells greatly inflated in some hyphae. Clamp
connections present.
HABIT, HABITAT, AND DISTRIBUTION: Caespitose on chip dirt in a mill
yard, Cusick, Wash. Oct. 12, 1966. Smith 74157. The mill had been
cutting conifer wood entirely.
OBSERVATIONS: This is.a common variant, which as far as a comparison of dried material goes is the closest to P. vialis of any Ploliota collected. It was a brighter yellow than material referred to P. spumosa, but
does llave occasional caulocystidia and a slight odor. The subhymenium
is not as gelatinous as it is in specimens assigned to P. spumnosa.
Because of the confusion involving the variants of P. spumosa we
are not including a list of material studied. Herbaria are full of specimens
in tlis group but the data to accurately classify tlem are lacking for the
most )art. As mentioned many times previously for otler groups, carefully correlated field and culture studies seem to be the approach most
likely to furnish a better understanding of the complex.
173. Pholiota velata (Pk.) conmb. Inov.
Flaiu/1Nla vclata Peck, Bull. Torrev Bot. Clubl 30: 96. 1903.
(;y)topilus v7elatus (Pk.) Murrill, North Amer. Fl. 10: 196. 1917.
111istriltions: Text figs. 381-383.
Pileus 2-4 cm broad, convex, sulplur-yellow, center reddish or
orange, margin persistently incurved. Context tliin, especially toward the
margin, yellow or greenisl yellow; taste mild.
Lamellae adnate or slightly decurrent, arcuate, pale yellow, becoming rusty brown or snuff-brown in age, medium narrow.
Stipe 2.5-4.5 cm long, 2-4 mm thick, sulfur-yellow above, brownish
below, fibrillose, somewhat tomentose at the base, flexuous, solid. Veil
arachllnoid, yellowisl wllite, strongly develope(d.
Spores 7-9 x 4-4.5 (5) pF, smooth, apical pore minute and apex not
truncate; sliape in face view oblong to elliptic, in profile obscurely inequilateral; tawny to ochraceous in KOH, not much different in Melzer's
reagent; wall about 0.3 p. thick.
Basidia 18-24 x 5-6.5 /u, obese, 4-spored, yellowish revived in KOH
or hlelzer's reagent. Plcurocystidia 45-62 x 7-14- j, fusoid-ventricose,
broadly ol)tuse or subacute at apex, neck in outline often wavy; wall thin
to sligltly tllickened (-0.5 j), smooth or coated or capped with hardened
amber mucilaginous material; content of coagulated amber-colored material gradually dissolving in KOH and content then yellowish to hyaline. Cheilocystidia 30-45 x 7-12 p,, subfusoid to fusoid-ventricose, similar
to pleurocystidia in remaining features. Caulocystidia not studied.
Gill trama of floccose subparallel hyphae hyaline to yellowish in