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

Smith * Hesler

289

are up to 7.5 /. long, but in Smith 51513, from Colorado, the upper limit
is 8 u/, as it was in a collection of Bresadola's. In nearly all collections
studied the pleurocystidia have a slender simple neck; but in Smith
17717, from Washington, some were forked and branched. The structure
of the subhymenium at once distinguishes P. harenosa from this species.
A study of the "Highland" (near Highland Falls, N. Y.) collection
which must be accepted as the type gave the following microscopic data.
Spores 6.5-8 x 4-4.5 a/, ellipsoid to ovoid in face view, inequilateral
in profile, smooth, germ pore not evident. Basidia 23-27 x 5-6 I,,
4-spored. Pleurocystidia 47-72 x 7-12,t, ventricose, at times slightly
constricted, sometimes brown; cheilocystidia 33-44 X 6-10,u, ventricose
or subfusoid. Gill trama a mediostrate, hyphae slightly interwoven,
hyphae 5-8 /u broad. Subhymenium a gelatinous zone. Pileus trama
radial. Cuticle gelatinous, of loosely interwoven, pale brown hyphae,
sometimes lightly incrusted. Clamp connections present. Pileus and gill
trama yellowish brown or pale rusty in KOH; rusty brown in Melzer's
reagent. Caulocystidia none.
Kauffman however had studied a specimen of P. prolixa under this
name and Peck himself had sent Kauffman such a specimen. We designate
those specimens having pleurocystidia 47-72 x 7-12 IJ as the type since
they unquestionably came from burnt ground.
MATERIAL EXAMINED: ALABAMA: Burke 680; Hesler 22978; CALIFORNIA: Cooke 18160; Copeland 455; Rea H-887 (MICH); COLORADO: Smith 51513; FLORIDA: Hesler 16152, 21600; IDAHO: Slipp
UIFPH 1545, 3105 (both MICH); Smith 44665, 44803, 54354, 54446,
58605, 59449, 64933, 65019, 65054; LOUISIANA: Hesler 3958; MICHIGAN: Bartelli 2418; Harding 350, 390, Smith 32-10, 32-221, 32-221a,
32-513, 33-99, 1197, 4558, 6120, 33289, 33695, 71441; MARYLAND:
Kauffman 6-16-19; NEW MEXICO: Barrows July 1955; NEW YORK:
The type; Smith 3617, 7929, 19891, 19894, 55353; TENNESSEE: Hesler
4259, 4260, 10128, 18845, 21329, Smith 21647 (MICH); TEXAS: Thiers
1488; WASHINGTON: Smith 3063, 17717, (MICH) 14145; WYOMING:
Smith 34357, 34434; ENGLAND: Austwick 403; GERMANY: Syd.
Mycoth. Ger. 1411, 1812; SWEDEN: Fung. Suec. 20-X-1945; 5-V-1946.
Section Spumosae sect. nov.
Pileus viscidus; pleurocystidia fusoide ventricosa; sporae 7-11 x
4-6,t. Typus. Pholiota spumnosa.
Key to Stirpes*
1. Growing on Sphagnum or clumps of moss in bogs............................................................................. Stirps Sphagnicola
*If any pleurocystidia show some wall thickening up to about 0.5 p, try
section Flammuloides also.