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

Smith ~ Hesler

299

Spores (6) 6.5-8.5 (9) X 5-7 (7.5),u, smooth, apical pore distinct
but apex not truly truncate, wall up to 0.5 bu thick; shape in face view
broadly ovate to almost angular-ovate at times varying to broadly elliptic,
in profile mostly obscurely to merely somewhat inequilateral or obscurely
angular-elliptic, apiculus very inconspicuous; color in KOH reddish
tawny, paler in Melzer's reagent.
Basidia 4-spored, 22-30 x (5) 6-8 /u, clavate, hyaline in KOH, yellowish in Melzer's reagent. Pleurocystidia (38) 50-81 X (8) 12-16 /t,
fusoid-ventricose with acute to subacute apex, varying to fusoid, walls
thin and hyaline, content homogeneous or with scattered rods and
granules. Cheilocystidia similar to pleurocystidia but smaller, content
often evenly yellowish. Caulocystidia 37-56 x 8-15 Fu, clavate to subventricose, in tufts, hyaline or with brown pigment, walls yellowish in
KOH.
Gill trama of a central portion with parallel hyphae, 6-15 /U diam.,
the cells short or long, the walls thin smooth and yellowish in KOH;
subhymenium a gelatinous layer of narrow hyphae hyaline in KOH and
interwoven. Pileus cutis a thick gelatinous pellicle of loosely tangled
narrow (2-4 /z) hyaline to yellow hyphae often with asperulate walls;
hypodermial zone of floccose hyphae with pale to dark tawny incrustations on walls, hyphae 4-10 br diam. Context hyphae inflated to 15 /JL +,
thin-walled, ochraceous to nearly hyaline and smooth, all hyphae inamyloid. Clamp connections present.
HABIT, HABITAT, AND DISTRIBUTION: Scattered or solitary, on conifer
debris and humus, WVashington, Oregon, and Idaho, September-October.
OBSERVATIONS: The broadly ovoid, dark brown, thick-walled spores
are distinctive. The young gills are "olive-buff," or greenish watery gray.
Field characters include the small size, and heavy veil development. It
is related to Pholiota pseudopulchella, which has larger, paler, ellipsoid
spores with thinner walls. It also is a connecting species to P. subangularis
as the spore shape, color in KOH and the thickness of the wall are all
very suggestive. The latter however, lacks pleurocystidia.
MATERIAL EXAMINED: IDAHO: Smith 55262, 55337; OREGON:
Smith 24806, 25060, 28184; WASHINGTON: Cooke 18592, 18831, 21777
(MICH); Smith 17083 (type), 17231.
160a. Pholiota pulchella var. brevipes var. nov.
Sporae 6.5-8 X 5-6.5 X 4-5 Fi, stipes 1-2 cm longus, 2-3.5 cm crassus;
lam llae ochiracceae. Specimen typicum in Herb. Univ. Mich. conservatunm est; legit prope Nordman, Idaho, Oct. 8, 1956. Smith 54284.
Pileus 2-3.5 cm broad, convex becoming plane, surface viscid but
soon dry, disc pale "natal brown" (vinaceous brown), margin pale olive
buff drying near ochre yellow, at first decorated with fibrillose squamules
from the veil, glabresent; margin long remaining appendiculate; context
yellow, when cut staining inky gray, pliant, no odor or taste.