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

Smith ~ Hesler

167

content homogeneous, hyaline to yellowish. Caulocystidia 28-47 x 5-15,u versiform, some with coagulated content.
Gill trama of subparallel floccose hyphae ochraceous to tan as revived in KOH, walls thin, smooth; subhymenium a very thin layer of
hyaline narrow subparallel gelatinous hyphae and gelatinization extending into the base of the hymenium. Pileus cutis a gelatinous layer of
tangled hyphae 2-4 au diam., with ochraceous to rusty incrustations;
hypodermium of floccose heavily encrusted (ochraceous-rusty) hyphae
grading into the paler context which is of greatly inflated (to 20 /. or
more) hyphal cells with smooth ochraceous tawny or yellower walls.
Clamp connections present. All hyphae inamyloid.
HABIT, HABITAT, AND DISTRIBUTION: Caespitose around stumps on
soil in low swampy elm woods, late summer and fall, common, Ohio and
Michigan.
OBSERVATIONS: This is a well characterized species in southeastern
Michigan, both in the field and in the herbarium. It beings to fruit in
August and builds up to a peak around the middle of September if the
weatler is moist.
OBSERVATIONS: We tried to recognize several species in this group but
the combinations of characters were not constant. The veil is poorly
developed on the small early season or very late season fruitings. At times
some leptocystidia similar in shape to the slender cheilocystidia are seen
but are not very constant. The diagnostic field features are narrow, close
to crowded lamellae yellowish before maturity, fibrillose to submembranous veil on the stipe which in robust specimens leaves a weak annulus, the very numerous chrysocystidia with their refractive content changing to orange brown or nearly red in Melzer's reagent, and the slender
cheilocystidia for the most part. In all of them clavate-pedicellate to
elliptic-pedicellate pleurocystidia with flavous to tawny homogeneous to
wrinkled content (revived in KOH) are usually readily demonstrated.
MATERIAL EXAMINED: OHIO: IWalters 174. MICHIGAN: Harding
394, 418, 419, 421; Kauffman 11-7-19, 8-7-25 (type); Smith 33-1109,
20553, 50545, 50725, 50727, 72561, 72614, 73249, 73281, 9-28-33.
84. Pholiota contorta sp. nov.
Illustrations: Text figs. 53-55.
Pileus 3-6 cm latus, convexus, demnum depressus, viscidus, sordide
ochraceus vel ochraceo-brunneus, squamulosus, glabrescens. Lamellae
latac, confertae, adnatae, sordide ochraceae. Stipes 1-6 cm longus, 3-8
mm crassus, subcontortus, fibrillosus, sordide ochraceus. Sporae 5-6 x
4-4.5 f., (7-8.5 x 4.5-5.5 J,). Pleurocystidia ut chrysocystidia. Cheilocystidia 28-42 x 6-10 fi, capitata, ochracea. Specimen typicum in Herb.
Univ. Mich. conservatum est; legit prope Cleveland, Ohio, 14 Oct 1948,
M. B. Walters n. 169.
Pileus 3-6 cm broad, convex becoming broadly convex, surface