North American species of Mycena.

EUMYCENA: TYPICAE

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gills may not be margined. This, however, is an extreme variation.
In the specimens I have seen from oak woods the larger gills were
distinctly margined, whereas the lamellulae were not. The pale
grayish-vinaceous or reddish colors, marginate gills, smooth cystidia,
and alkaline odor serve to distinguish M. capillaripes from other
marginate Mycenae.
In the Smith River Canyon in northern California an odorless
form (8765) was found in which the stipe was bluish black. The consistency was more like that of M. rosella than that of typical M. capillaripes, but the cystidia were all smooth. This collection is placed
here tentatively.
SECTION TYPICAE
The species of this section form the center of the genus, and it is
in relation to these that all the others are grouped. Although the
section is a large one, it is not divided into subsections because of the
lack of practical divisions. In general, one might say that the old
sections Filipedes, Fragilipedes, and Rigidipedes of Fries have been
brought together here. The divisions used in the key serve to group
the obviously closely related species. The section represents a most
monotonous series of blackish, brown, gray, bluish-gray, or brownishgray species mostly with ascending gills and generally large to moderate stature. The very small species are placed in the Deminutivae,
even though their closest relatives may be here. The stipes are
usually smooth, but a few species with the combination of fibrillose
stems and amyloid spores are also included. The section Floccipedes
(those with fibrillose stipes and nonamyloid spores) will not cause
much trouble for the beginner because it is a very small section, which
can be eliminated from consideration by glancing through the characters of the several species. The section Omphaliariae will cause
more difficulty at first. In general, species growing cespitose on
wood, even if their gills are broadly adnate, arcuate, or subdecurrent,
are placed in the typicae. M. semivestipes and M. laevigata are the
two commonest examples. Certain terrestrial species have been
keyed out in both sections to facilitate their identification.
KEY TO SPECIES
1. Fragile species: usually gregarious on humus or scattered on pieces
of debris on ground, frequently found in large troops under conifers
(see no. 33 for fragile lignicolous species)....................... 2