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

Smith * Hesler

147

present........................................P. flavescens
13. Chrysocystidia in hymenium fusoid-ventricose to clavate; no vesiculose-pedicellate cells present........................................ P. lutescens
14. Lamellae narrow; pleurocystidia as typical chrysocystidia......................................................................................................... P. p r o l i x a
14. L a m e lla e b ro a d.............................................................................. 15
15. Pleurocystidia present as typical leptocystidia as to shape, but usually
with an amorphous to granular content.................... P. californica
15. Pleurocystidia inconspicuous but typical of chrysocystidia; cheilocystidia resembling those of P. erinaceella........................ P. contorta
72. Pholiota subcaerulea sp. nov.
Illustrations: Text figs. 67-69; pl. 25b.
Pileus 2-4 cm latus, obtusus, demum explanato-uzmbonatus, glutinus,
albo-squamulosus, caeruleus vel aerugineo-caeruleus, demum saubargillaceo-maculatus. Lamellae pallide brunneae demum subcinnamomeae, confertae, latac, adnato-decurrentes. Stipe 3-6 cm longus, 1.5-4(8) mm crassus
ad basin cutm rhizomorphis albis, subcaeruleus, deorsum albofloccosus,
sursurn sericeus. Annulus membranaceus. Sporae 7-9 x 4-4.5 F, leves.
Pleuro-chrysocystidia 24-36 x 9-12,/. Specimen typictum in Herb. Univ.
Mich. conservatum est. legit. prope Portland, Oregon, 11 Nov. 1954, Ruth
Oswald No. 2.
Pileus 2-4 cm broad, obtuse, with incurved margin, expanding to
obtusely umbonate and the margin finally spreading, surface glutinous
and dotted with white flecks of the remnants of a white veil, blue to
greenish blue but gradually fading out to cinnamon-buff in blotches,
often retaining the greenish blue color when dried; flesh thin, bluish,
odor and taste none.
Lamellae pallid brownish becoming more or less sordid cinnamon
brown at maturity (not truly purplish brown), close, moderately broad,
adnexed to broadly adnate-decurrent, edges even.
Stipe 3-6 cm long, 1.5-4 (8) mm thick, equal or slightly enlarged at
the base, base with numerous white rhizomorphs, lower portion with
white floccose patches of veil tissue scattered over it, annulus white,
single, median, often evanescent, silky to fibrillose above, concolorous
with pileus over all or a little paler, dry.
Spores 7-9 x 4-4.5,u, smooth, ovate to subelliptic in face view,
elliptic to obscurely inequilateral in profile, apex with a minute germ
pore but apex not truncate, wall relatively thin; spores on annulus pale
cinnamon-brown, in KOH dingy tawny brown, and in Melzer's brighter
colored but not dextrinoid.
Basidia 22-26 X 6-7 /t, 4-spored, hyaline in KOH, yellowish in
Melzer's reagent. Pleurocystidia abundant, 24-36 X 9-12 /u, clavate,
fusoid-ventricose to clavate-mucronate, thin-walled, hyaline in KOH and
with a highly refractive hyaline amorphous body, in Melzer's reagent the