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

Smith ~ Hesler

95

neo-flavus vel "light-buff" tinctus colore obscuro-olivaceo, disco "chamois"
demum "warm-buff," denique obscure flavo-albus, fibrillosus, squamuosus
vetus. Caro alba; odore et gustu mitis. Lamellae adnatae vel adnatodecurrentes, albae deinde flavidae, denique "honey-yellow" demum "claycolor," confertae, medio-latae. Stipes 2-3.5(6) cm longus, 5-8(10) mm
crassus, albidus vel tinctus colore flavido, obscure flavido-brunneus,
fibrillosus. Velum album, arachnoideum, fugax. Sporae (4.5)5-7(7.5) fi,
ellipsoideae vel subovoideae, leves, truncatae. Pleurocystidia desunt;
cheilocystidia 22-48 X 4-9 F, ventricosa demum cylindrica. Cuticula
(elatinosa. Caulocystidia versiformia. Specimen typicum in Herb. Univ.
Tenn.; legit in Knoxville, Tennessee, November 18, 1945, Hesler 18848.
Pileus caespitose, 1.5-3.5 (7) cm broad, viscid, ivory white to "ivoryyellow," or "light-buff" with an obscure olive tint, disc "chamois" to
"warm-buff," finally dingy yellowish-white over all, with scattered brownish fibrils, usually becoming scaly in age, margin even, at first appendiculate. Context white, at maturity yellowish under the cuticle; odor and
taste not distinctive.
Lamellae adnate, or adnate-decurrent, at times more or less adnexed,
at first white or pallid, soon yellowish, finally dull yellow to yellow-brown
("honey-yellow" to "buckthorn-brown" or "clay-color), close, moderately
broad, edges even or nearly so.
Stipe 2-3.5 (6) cm long, 5-8 (10) mm thick, whitish with a yellowish
tint, apex white-silky, elsewhere with dingy yellowish brown fibrils or
scales, equal or tapering downward, stuffed then hollow. Veil white,
arachnoid, leaving a superior annular fibrillose zone, fugaceous.
Spore deposit dark yellow-brown ("Prout's brown" to "snuffbrown"); spores (4.5) 5-7 (7.5) x 3.3-4 ij, elliptic to ovate in face view,
obsctlrely inequilateral in profile, wall only slightly thickened (not
enough to estimate thickness), tawny to near amber brown in KOH,
merely pale reddish tawny in Melzer's reagent, smoc;h, apex obscurely
truncate.
Basidia 24-30 X 5-7.5 /u, 4-spored, clavate, hyaline in KOH, yellowish in Melzer's sol. Pleurocystidia scattered as chrysocystidia, 31-46 x
8-12 fL, clavate-mucronate to obclavate to more or less fusoid-ventricose,
as revived in KOH with the typical hyaline amorphous mass of material
in the enlarged part or in tle broad pedicel, thin-walled, smooth, yellowish in MIelzer's. Pseudocystidia filamentous to clavate 25-34 x 5-10 /u,
bright yellow in KOH, scattered in hymenium. Cheilocystidia 18-26 (48)
x 4-9 /u, fusoid-ventricose to utriform, apex obtuse to rounded, often
with yellowish content in KOH but content homogeneous. Caulocystidia
mostly clavate as projecting terminal cells of hyphae, 33-60 X 5-8 fu,
thin-walled, hyaline to yellowish in KOH and Melzer's sol.
Gill trama of subparallel hyphae with cells elongate, tubular or
nearly so (until old age), non-gelatinous, (3) 4-8 (12) uL wide, thin-walled,
hyaline to yellow in KOH and Melzer's reagent; golden yellow oleiferous
hyphae numerous (as revived in KOH); subhymenium of interwoven