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

Smith ~ Hesler

107

obtuse, wall smooth, thin, hyaline or near base slightly cinnamon. Caulocystidia versiform, 30-56 X (7) 9-16 pu, subcylindric with various constrictions, fusoid-ventricose with narrow neck and acute apex or subclavate, wall often thickened to 0.5-1.2, and often colored in pedicel.
Gill trama as revived in KOH cellular with cells 10-25 /U diam.
having rusty brown walls thickened to 0.5-1.5 /L and "double" in optical
section, subhymenium also of dark cinnamon cells but narrow and wall
often finely encrusted. Pileus cuticle with an epicutis of hyphae 2-5.U
diam., with minutely asperulate walls and not gelatinous. Hypodermial
zone of greatly inflated hyphal cells (to 20.u) with rusty brown thickened walls. Context of greatly inflated hyphal cells also thick-walled
(0.5-1.5 p.). Clamp connections present. All hyphae inamyloid.
Caespitose on a rotten Abies concolor log, Wagon Camp, Mt. Shasta,
California, July 11, 1963. William Bridge Cooke 34315, type; elevation
5700 ft.
OBSERVATIONS: This species differs from P. obsciura in smaller spores,
large thick-walled cells comprising the gill trama, close narrow gills at
first, and lack of a gelatinous pellicle on the pileus. It is closest to P.
marginella in most features but differs in the much more greatly inflated
cells of the gill trama and the darker color of the stipe when fresh. Also,
in P. bridgii there is a distinct colored hypodermial region of hyphal
cells with slightly thickened walls.
Stirps Obscura
In this group are placed the viscid small spored species with narrow
stipes and broad gills in which the stipe below the annulus is not conspicuously scaly. The gills are yellow-brown at maturity or cinnamon.
This group continues into the next to form a single complex.
Key to Species
1. Spores 2.5-3 Fu broad.............................................. see P. sitbochracea
1. Spores 2.5-5 /p wide 2..................
2. Veil absent; stipe blackish below P. nigripes
2. Veil evident on young basidiocarps 3.................
3. Stipe whitish; pileus olive-yellow, moist.... see P. albo-olivascens
3. Stipe soon darker colored........................................ 4
4. Large clavate pleurocystidia present P. galerinoides
4. N o t as ab o v e........................................................................................ 5
5. Veil rudimentary, all traces soon gone (see P. atripes also)................................................................................................................. P. o b s c u r a
5. Stipe, when veil breaks, with a thin membranous annulus............................................................................. P. tahquam enonens is