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

Smith ~ Hesler

325

phae yellowish to greenish hyaline in KOH, smooth, thin-walled, very
compactly arranged. Clamp connections present.
Gregarious on or around old conifer logs, Binarch Creek, Priest
Lake, Idaho, Sept. 17, 1966. Smith 73446.
We identify this collection as P. piceina not only because of the
dark gills when fresh (we cannot be sure what Murrill meant by "pale
fuscous'") but especially by the bright yellow color which is preserved in
drying. The spores are a shade smaller than in the type but not enough
so to appear significant. If Smith 73446 is indeed P. piceina the species
is further distinguished by the green Guaiac reaction, the slight peculiar
odor, and the cut context becoming brighter yellow and then brownish.
The wide hyphae in the gelatinous pellicle may or may not be distinctive.
We did not note them in the type, but their apparent absence would not
necessarily be critical since several problems arise concerning them-are
they stray filaments from the context which gelatinize less than the
narrow hyphae, is their presence merely evidence of shreds of the veil too
sparse to show macroscopically (they were mostly near the surface) or is
the cutis truly "dimitic"-if the latter is the case the character should
be regarded as significant.
Section Lubricae (Fr.) Singer, emended
Liiloa 22: 516. 1951.
Pleurocystidia prominent but not of the type generally known as
chrysocystidia; spores 5-8 (9) x 3-4.5 (5) /L; pileus glutinous to viscid.
Type: P. lubrica.
Key to Stirpes
1. Taste bitter................................................................... Stirps Astragalina
1. Taste mild to farinaceous 2
1. Taste m ild to farinaceous....................................................
2. Pileus color in bright ferruginous-red, orange-red or brilliant
orange-yellow range.................. Stirps Fibrillosipes
2. Pileus color darker or duller at least over disc............................ 3
3. Pileus cinnamon to dark cinnamon brown, subtestaceous or baybrown; marginal area not yellow (may be pallid to tan, etc.)........................................................................................................... S tir p s L u b ric a
3. Pileus variously colored but at least the pileus margin some shade of
yellow varying to pallid (old or faded specimens of stirps Fibrillosipes
will key here also)......................................... 4
4. Pileus muticolored-mixed green, violaceous, purple-drab and
yellow at different stages.................. Stirps Polychroa
4. N ot as above..................................................................... 5
5. Typically on decaying wood; spores 3.5-4.5 p, (see stirps Lenta also)................. Stirps Crassipedes