The North American species of Psathyrella.

1972]

PSATHYRELLA

119

acute or obtuse, more rarely forked, wall about 0.5 / thick and refractive, smooth,
brittle (many broken ones seen in crushed mounts), mostly hyaline in KOH but
in some the content smoky pale lilaceous-brown to brownish vinaceous (the
reaction apparently lessening as basidiocarps age). Cheilocystidia similar to the
pleurocystidia or smaller, having thinner walls and mostly hyaline in KOH.
Gill trama in KOH dull cinnamon fading to hyaline. Pileus with a cuticle
composed of a layer of vesiculose cells several deep, wall yellowish to rustycinnamon in KOH and at basal zone often showing copious deposits of a dark
cinnamon pigment variously disposed in the cell but usually against the wall.
Hyphae of the context vinaceous-brown to cinnamon in KOH fading out to pale
cinnamon. Clamp connections present. No distinctive color reactions noted in
mounts in Melzer's save that the hymenium may be brighter yellow than usual.
Type locality. Camp Manitou, Douglas Lake, Cheboygan County, Michigan.
Habit and habitat. Scattered on hardwood logs.
Distribution. Michigan.
Observations. This variety differs from the type variety in degree rather than
qualitatively, and deserves further study. The veil is more copious, the spores are
less compressed (rarely ovate in face view), more cystidia have thickened walls,
the cystidia appear to be more brittle, and there seems to be heavier pigmentation
in the basal zone of the cuticle. Psathyrella xanthocystis Orton is close to this
variety but has yellow cystidia in KOH, and spores 7.5-9 x 4.7-5 /,.
Material examined. Michigan: Ammirati 2167, 3525; Potter 6145; Smith
32479 (Type), 32623, 33929, 74403.
76. Psathyrella paradoxa A. H. Smith, sp. nov.
Pileus 2-5 cm latus demum campanulatus vel convexo-umbonatus, pallide
fulvus demum fulvus, ad marginem sparse appendiculatus; lamellae pallide
alutaceae demum griseo-brunneae, adnatae demum subdistantes; stipes 4-8 cm
longus, 3-5 mm crassus, fragilis, deorsum fibrilloso-squamulosus demum sordide
brunneus; sporae (5.5-) 6-7 x 3.5-4.5 /u; pleurocystidia 40-60 (-70) x 10-16 (-20) It,
fusoidea, subacuta ad apicerum hyalino-granulosa; fibulae adsunt. Typus. Smith
23924 (MICH); legit prope Cherryville, Oregon.
var. paradoxa
Illust. P1. 37; Text Figs. 193-196.
Pileus 2-5 cm broad, obtuse when young, becoming broadly campanulate or
convex or convex-umbonate, surface moist, hygrophanous, color "ochraceoustawny" (pale fulvous) at first, becoming cinnamon brown to more reddish brown
in age before fading, fading to avellaneous or wood brown over marginal area and
pale tan over disc, at first with scattered remains of a white outer veil as patches
or streaks of fibrils, soon glabrescent; margin decorated with dentate segments of
the broken submembranous veil. Context watery brownish fading to buff, odor
and taste not distinctive.
Lamellae pale cinnamon-buff young, "light drab" when mature, as dried dark
vinaceous-brown, bluntly adnate and readily seceding, broad (5-7 mm), close to
nearly subdistant, edges eroded.
Stipe 4-8 cm long, 3-5 mm thick at apex, slightly enlarged downward, hollow,
fragile, with more or less appressed fibrillose patches over lower half, floccose
above and silky near the apex, white above, sordid brownish below in age.
Spores (5.5-)6-7x3.5-4.5 Ix, smooth, apical pore present but inconspicuous,