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

Smith * Hesler

285

Pileus 2-4 cm latus, late convexus, pallide luteolus ("pale pinkishbuff"), viscidus. Lamellae pallidae angustae, confertae. Stipes 3-7 cm
longus, 5-10 mm crassus, subalbidus, fibrillosus. Sporae 5.5-6.5(7.5) x 3.5 -4 p.. Pleurocystidia 45-66(70) x 8-12(16) Fu in ligno semiusto. Specimen
typicum in Herb. Univ. Mich. conservatum est; legit prope McCall,
Idaho. 23 Juni 1962, Smith 65008.
Pileus 2-4 cm broad, broadly convex with an incurved margin
which for a time is fringed with a thin layer of veil remnants, "pale
pinkish-buff" overall (young), developing a reddish or brownish flush in
age, thinly glutinous, glabrous except for minute veil particles or fibrils
near margin, somewhat virgate. Context white; odor mild, taste fungoid.
KOH slowly orange-yellowish, FeSO4-no reaction.
Lamellae adnate, pallid like pileus, becoming cinnamon-buff to
wood-brown, crowded, narrow, edges even and concolorous.
Stipe 3-7 cm long, 5-10 mm thick, surface at first whitish-fibrillose
overall and whitish beneath the fibrils, equal or narrowed downward,
solid, watery pallid within, cortex whitish, not discoloring below, the
fibrillose (veil) layer separating into zones or patches and becoming a
dingy brownish orange, terminating as a faint annular zone, white and
silky above the zone.
Spores 5.5-6.5 (7.5) x 3.5-4 p,, smooth, no apical pore present, in
face view elliptic to ovate, in profile somewhat inequilateral, ventral line
nearly straight as seen in optical section, dorsal line humped toward
apiculate end or merely convex, wall about 0.3 pu thick, color in KOH
dull cinnamon to dull tawny, in Melzer's reagent pale tawny.
Basidia 4-spored, 24-30 x 4.5-6 u, hyaline in KOH, pale yellowish
in Melzer's reagent. Pleurocystidia abundant, 45-66(70) X 8-12(16) L,
fusoid-ventricose with subacute to obtuse apex, wall thin smooth and
hyaline, content homogeneous and hyaline, rarely with yellow to brown
content. Cheilocystidia 28-45 x 8-15 p/, clavate to subfusoid or fusoidventricose, walls thin smooth and hyaline, content homogeneous and
hyaline. Caulocystidia none found.
Gill trama of a central area of more or less parallel floccose hyphae
hyaline or nearly so in KOH; hyphae 4-6 p, broad before cells inflate,
walls thin to slightly thickened ("double"); subhymenium a distinctly
differentiated layer of gelatinous hyphae. Pileus cuticle a thick gelatinous
pellicle of hyphae 2-5 pL diam. walls smooth to roughened, hyaline to
yellowish in KOH; hypodermium a layer of floccose hyphae with bright
orange-rusty walls in KOH, walls mostly smooth. Context hyphae with
thin to slightly thickened "double" walls, smooth, cells inflated. Clamp
connections present. All hyphae inamyloid.
HABIT, HABITAT, AND DISTRIBUTION: On burned area, Idaho, June.
Smith 65008, type.
OBSERVATIONS: The distinctive characters of this species include the
pale pinkish-buff young pileus which develops a reddish or brownish
flush, the short thick stipe the white veil which becomes dingy brownish