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

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The North American Species of Pholiota

cutis a thin gelatinous layer of narrow (2-3 /L) hyaline interwoven hyphae
with thin smooth walls; hypodermial region not distinct from the context. Context of closely interwoven thin-walled hyaline to yellowish
hyphae with inflated cells. Clamp connections present. All hyphae inamyloid.
HABIT, HABITAT, AND DISTRIBUTION: On debris of elm, basswood, and
aspen, Michigan and Colorado, May, June and October.
OBSERVATIONS: This is a rather anomalous agaric, but is better placed
in Pholiota than Tubaria. In aspect it is more like Agrocybe than any
other genus, but it lacks the diagnostic characters of that genus. It is
readily destroyed by insects, as is P. veris, but the spores are not truncate.
It is very close to P. striatula but that species differs in wider cheilo- and
caulocystidia and in the spores lacking a germ pore. Also, the annulus in
P. mutans is typically well-formed.
We were at first inclined to place this species in Pholiota oedipus
(Cke) P. D. Orton but finally decided against it. There is no doubt
that if one maintains a "broad" species concept, one could treat P. oedipus
P. striatula and P. mutans as variants of a single species. However, in the
past much confusion has been caused by lumping North American
species with European ones before a truly critical comparison has been
made of both. It is difficult for us to visualize how anyone would have
ever referred our fungus to Hypholoma.
MATERIAL EXAMINED: Colorado: Smith 52225; MICHIGAN: Smith
6205, 6225 (type), 6277, 36319, 71531. Washington: Smith 13134, 14134.
29. Pholiota gummosa (Lasch) Singer, Lilloa 22: 517. 1951.
Agaricus gummosus Lasch, Linnaea 3: 406. 1828.
Flammula gummosa (Lasch) Kummer, Der Fuhrer in die Pilzkunde, p.
82, 1871.
Dryophila gummosa (Lasch) Quelet, Enchir. Fung. p. 70. 1886.
Illustrations: Text figs. 62-64.
Pileus 2-5 cm broad, at first hemispheric, then convex, mamillate at
first but generally obtuse or even slightly depressed in age, with the
margin inrolled and regular but often becoming straight or irregularly
undulating, when young slightly greenish, then clear pale citrine, showing
often reddish to brownish red on disc, at times uniformly of these colors
in age, viscid at first, then dry, decorated with brownish squamules very
appressed and often not apparent at maturity. Context fairly thin, clear
yellow, odor of herbs, taste mild or slightly raphanoid.
Lamellae merely close, unequal, adnate to appearing slightly decurrent, fairly narrow (3-7 mm), pale yellow finally yellowish brown with
paler edges.
Stipe 3.5-8 cm long, 3-8 mm thick, pliant, cylindric to crooked or
twisted, in some attenuated downward, stuffed, at first yellowish pallid