The North American species of Psathyrella.

1972]

PSATHYRELLA

375

scattered over the lower third of the stipe as white-fibrillose flecks or forming a
faint subbasal white-fibrillose zone, upper two thirds densely pruinose and often
slightly striate.
Spores (6.5-) 7-9 x (3-) 3.5-4.5 u, smooth, with a distinct hyaline pore causing
apex to appear slightly truncated, in face view oblong to elliptic, in profile suboblong to very obscurely inequilateral, color in KOH chocolate-brown becoming
chocolate-gray (near "wood brown"), in Melzer's reddish tawny, wall about 0.2
thick.
Basidia 4-spored, 12-14 (-24) x 6-8 A, clavate, hyaline in KOH. Pleurocystidia
rare to very scattered and mostly near the gill edge, similar to the cheilocystidia.
Cheilocystidia (28-) 34-46 (-60) x 8-15 /, narrowly to broadly fusoid-ventricose,
the apex acute to subacute, neck often flexuous, wall thin, smooth and hyaline, cell
content not distinctive in either KOH or Melzer's. Caulocystidia variable (Fig.
786), wall thin, smooth and hyaline, content not distinctive.
Gill trama regular, the hyphal cells inflated, pale brownish revived in KOH,
walls smooth. Subhymenium cellular. Pileus having a cuticle of more or less
perpendicular elongated hyaline cells (35-)40-55x10-30(-40) A, the wall thin,
smooth and hyaline, cell content not distinctive in KOH or Melzer's. Hyphae of
the context pale brown to dingy ochraceous as revived in KOH, dark in young
pilei, paler in old ones. Clamp connections present. No distinctive reaction on
any tissue as revived in Melzer's.
Type locality. St. Louis, Missouri.
Habit and habitat. Cespitose on the ground but actually coming from buried
wood, often abundant on old sawdust piles.
Distribution. Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, Wyoming.
Observations. It is likely that the pseudorhiza is perennial.
Material examined. Michigan: Rup Chand 7; Kauffman 10-11-05, 11-3-29;
Smith 33-1033, 33-1116, 5018, 5019, 34210, 60782, 75157, 78272, 10-17-67.
Missouri (Type). New Mexico: Barrows 780B. Wyoming: Smith 34739, 35110.
349. Psathyrella longistipes A. H. Smith, sp. nov.
Pileus 2-4 cm longus, late conicus, sordide ochraceus demum glaber; lamellae
confertae adnatae, latae, violaceo-fuscae; stipes 6-12 cm longus, caespitosus,
2.5-5 mm crassus, albidus; glaber; velum sparsum; sporae 8-10x 4.5-6 pt; pleurocystidia 26-38(-45) x 8-12 /A, anguste fusoideo-ventricosa, subacuta vel obtusa,
interdum subcrasso-tunicata (0.5 x); fibulae adsunt. Typus. Smith 52743
(MICH); legit prope Ophir, Colorado.
Illust. Text figs. 787-789.
Pileus 2-4 cm broad, obtusely conic becoming broadly conic with a flaring
margin, surface glabrous, moist, hygrophanous, a very weak "buckthorn brown"
when young (pale dingy yellow-brown), becoming grayer as spores mature, striate
when moist, fading to pale pinkish buff (pallid buff) or whitish, margin lacking
veil remnants at all stages. Context thin and fragile, odor and taste not distinctive.
Lamellae close, adnate, seceding, moderately broad, near "benzo brown"
(violaceous-drab) when mature, edges even.
Stipe 6-12 cm long, 2.5-5 mm at apex, hollow fragile, white over all and not
discoloring, fibrillose-pruinose above but not from veil remnants; veil rudimentary
-as a few shreds on small buttons.
Spores 8-10x4.5-6 /, smooth, apical pore broad, in some projecting slightly
as a hyaline lens, shape in face view subelliptic to ovate, in profile obscurely