2. Hyphae of the lamellar trama with coarse, dark brown pigment granules seen in mounts of water or Melzer's reagent . . . . G. alkalivirens (eastern USA) & G. fuscopurpureus (western USA)
2. Hyphae of the lamellar trama without coarse pigment granules . . . . 3
3. Hyphae of the stipe trama with dark brown granular pigment encrustations in mounts of water or Melzer's; stipe with tawny strigosity only toward the base . . . . G. semihirtipes
3. Hyphae of the stipe trama without dark pigment encrustions in water mounts or Melzer's; stipe
glabrous and dark red brown OR tawny and strigose overall . . . . 4
4. Stipe tawny and strigose overall . . . . G. spongiosus
4. Stipe glabrous and dark red brown . . . . G. erythropus
1. Basidiomata not green with alkali . . . . 5
5. Growing on soil in the woods, or on lawns, pastures, etc., appearing in early spring . . . . G. earleae
5. Growing on leaf litter, rotten wood, etc, fruiting season variable . . . . 6
6. Stipe pubescent to tomentose from apex to base; pileus dull sordid tan when fresh; basidiomata with a marcescent texture . . . . G. kauffmanii
6. Stipe base usually glabrous but occasionally thinly, white pruinose with age; pileus dark
reddish brown to honey yellow when fresh; texture somewhat fleshy fibrous . . . . 7
7. Rhizomorphs pinkish ochre; basidiomata with yellow colors . . . . C. subsulphurea (see discussion under G. dryophilus)
7. Rhizomorphs white; basidiomata dark reddish brown . . . . 8
8. Cheilocystidia inflated; basidiomata on wood mulch or soil in spring; lamellae close . . . . C. brunneola (see discussion under G. dryophilus)
8. Cheilocystidia filamentous; basidiomata on litter, rotted wood; lamellae crowded . . . . G. dryophilus
Gymnopus alkalivirens (Singer) Halling, Mycotaxon 63: 363. 1997. Micro features
Collybia alkalivirens Singer, Sydowia 2: 26. 1948.
Misapplied name: Collybia plexipes sensu Kauffman, Agar. Michigan 1: 762. 1918, non Fries, Syst. Mycol. 1: 146. 1821.
Pileus 8-27 mm broad, convex or hemispheric with the margin incurved or inrolled at first, expanding to broadly convex or obtusely conic or plane, finally plane with a low, broad umbo; margin obscurely rugose striate or nearly sulcate; surface dull, glabrous, hygrophanous, dark vinaceous brown when moist (7,8D8; carob brown), fading to rufous on the disc, usually the margin becoming cinnamon to buff with a rufous cast, sometimes only the disc fading, dark brown to black or sometimes buff when dried; context thin, very thin at edge of pileus, whitish with a rufous flush; odor and taste none. Lamellae narrowly adnate to nearly free, close, narrow (0.5-2 mm), equal, soft textured, more or less glaucous, separable from the pileus, not forked, sometimes intervenose, brown (8E9; near auburn, bay), fading to chocolate brown, blackish when dry; edges even, straight or slightly undulate. Stipe 30-80 mm long, 1-3 mm thick, equal or slightly enlarged at the base, fibrous pliant, straight or curved, centrally attached; surface dull, glabrous except for a brownish (7C-D-E8) tomentum at the base, dark vinaceous brown (near carob brown) to black (7,8F8; near bone brown, clove brown), somewhat paler at apex; interior hollow.
Spores white in deposit, 5.4-6.5 x 2.2-3.2 µm, lacrymoid, narrowly ellipsoid in profile, ellipsoid to subcylindric in face or back view, slightly wrinkled in water mounts, smooth and pale greenish in alkali, inamyloid, acyanophilous. Basidia 18.4-27 x 5.4-6.5 µm, clavate to subclavate, four sterigmate, greenish in alkali, not siderophilous. Pleurocystidia absent. Cheilocystidia scattered, sometimes inconspicuous, 19.5-72.5 µm long, flexuous cylindric to clavate with a few broad obtuse projections, green in alkali. Lamellar trama subparallel to slightly interwoven, inamyloid; cells 4.2-9.8 µm in diam, occasionally inflated to 16.2 µm, with conspicuous dark brown, granular encrusting pigment in water and Melzer's mounts; pigment soluble in alkali and the tissues discoloring to greenish. Pileus trama loosely interwoven, inamyloid; hyphae 4.2-8.6 µm in diam, with encrusting pigment similar to lamellar trama. Pileipellis a layer of repent, branched hyphae, not diverticulate or coralloid, not radially arranged; hyphae 3.2-5.4 µm in diam, coarsely encrusted with a brown plate-like pigment which is partially soluble in alkali. Stipitipellis a layer of parallel, vertically oriented hyphae; cells 3.2-5.4 µm in diam, encrusted with alkali soluble brown pigment, giving rise to flexuous-cylindric to contorted caulocystidia, becoming greenish in alkali. Stipe tramal hyphae hyaline, encrusted with scattered, brown granular pigment, soluble in alkali. Clamp connections present.
Macrochemical reactions: KOH and NH4OH--all parts green.
Habit, habitat, and distribution: Solitary, scattered, gregarious, or cespitose on soil, among moss, leaf litter, decaying wood debris, or old fern hummocks. Occurring in hardwood forests during June and July in New England, Quebec, Michigan, New York, and Virginia. Also reported from New Jersey occurring in late May (Lincoff, personal communication). Also reported from Mexico by Guzmán et al. (1992).
Discussion: The above description is derived from one previously published (Halling 1979). Since then, additional material has been examined and observations on related taxa have been made (Baroni and Halling, 1989; Halling 1981, 1990, 1996) that include differentiating G. fuscopurpureus, C. kirchneri (G. erythropus), C. obscura, G. semihirtipes, and G. spongiosus.
Gymnopus semihirtipes (Pk.) Halling, Mycotaxon 63: 365. 1997. Micro features Macro image
Marasmius semihirtipes Pk., Bull. Buffalo Soc. Nat. Sci. 1: 57 58. 1874.
Collybia semihirtipes (Pk.) Halling, Mycologia 73: 637. 1981.
Pileus 5-15 mm broad, convex at first, expanding to broadly convex, or subumbonate at times with an obscurely short-sulcate to rugulose margin with age; surface glabrous, hygrophanous, colored an orange brown (amber brown) when young and moist, fading to cinnamon (cinnamon) and finally a pale dingy brown (fawn color, snuff brown, wood brown) on the disc, becoming paler (avellaneous, vinaceous buff, tilleul buff) toward the margin, eventually a pale buff (pale pinkish buff, pale ochraceous buff) nearly overall; context whitish, very thin, tough; odor and taste none. Lamellae adnate to sinuate, at times with a decurrent tooth, subdistant, forked, sometimes intervenose, narrow (about 1 mm), colored whitish (near pale pinkish buff); edges fimbriate. Stipe 20-40 mm long, 0.5-2 mm broad, equal or tapering upward from a slightly enlarged base, usually curved near the base, tough; surface subglabrous to glabrous above, lower one-third covered with a vinaceous, matted tomentum, colored dark brown (rood's brown, walnut brown); interior hollow.
Spore deposit cream colored. Spores 7.5-8.6(-9.8) x 3.2-4.2(-5) µm, lacrymoid in profile, obovoid in face or back view, smooth, inamyloid, acyanophilous. Basidia 19.5-32.4 x 5.4-7.5 µm, clavate, four sterigmate, not siderophilous. Hymenial cystidia absent. Lamellar trama interwoven, inamyloid; hyphae 3.2-7.5 µm in diam, smooth, thin walled, not encrusted in water or Melzer's mounts. Pileus trama interwoven, inamyloid; hyphae smooth, thin walled, not encrusted in water or Melzer's mounts. Pileipellis a layer of repent, branched hyphae, not diverticulate or coralloid, not radially arranged; hyphae 4.2-10.8 µm in diam, with scattered, yellow brown encrusting pigment. Stipitipellis a layer of parallel, vertically oriented hyphae; cells 3.2-5.4 µm in diam, with dark brown pigmented walls in water or Melzer's mounts, becoming greenish in alkali; giving rise to a scant vesture of scattered caulocystidia, cylindric contorted, more abundant toward the base of the stipe, walls often thickened up to 2.5 µm. Stipe tramal hyphae 4.2-11.8 µm in diam, usually hyaline with dark brown granular encrustations in water or Melzer's mounts, dissolving in alkali and tissues becoming greenish. Clamp connections present in all tissues.
Habit, habitat, and distribution: Scattered to gregarious on humus, among fallen leaves. Collected in May, June, and October.
Discussion: Gymnopus semihirtipes seems to be intermediate between G. spongiosus and G. alkalivirens. Only the stipe trama of G. semihirtipes has the dark brown, alkali soluble, granular encrusting pigment which is so characteristic of all the tramal hyphae of G. alkalivirens. Gymnopus spongiosus is devoid of granular pigment in the tramal tissues. Gymnopus erythropus is related, but differs in a number of features, viz., the alkaline reaction is restricted to the stipe, and pigment granules are located only on the walls of the hyphae forming the stipitipellis and the vesture at the stipe base. Also the granules do not seem to be alkali soluble. Other distinctive features include long, filamentous cheilocystidia and a stipe vesture that is restricted to the base but rarely reaches halfway up the stipe.
Gymnopus spongiosus (Berk. & Curt.) Halling, Brittonia 48: 489. 1996 (1997). Micro features, Macro image
Marasmius spongiosus Berkeley & Curtis, Hooker's J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 1: 100.
1849.
Collybia spongiosa (Berk. & Curt.) Singer, Lilloa 22: 201. 1949 (1951).
Marasmius semisquarrosus Berkeley & Cooke in Cooke, Grevillea 6: 129. 1878.
Pileus 8-35 mm broad, convex with an inconspicuous umbo and inrolled margin when young, expanding to convex to plane with a decurved margin; surface dry, sublubricous in wet weather, subhygrophanous, glabrous and even when young, becoming rugulose or sometimes slightly tuberculate at the margin in age, usually remaining even on the disc, colored reddish brown (8E8) overall when young and fresh, fading at first to grayish orange (5,6B3; pinkish buff) then to whitish along the margin, disc fading to a pale orange or pale buff (5A4; pale pinkish buff); context white, thin (up to 3 mm thick); odor and taste none. Lamellae adnexed to adnate, nearly free in expanded pilei, close to crowded, narrow, thin, white to cream white (5, 6A2; creamy buff); edges entire. Stipe 20-60 mm long, up to 4 mm thick at apex, wider below, equal or subclavate, sometimes twisted, pliant to tough, base often spongy and thickened; surface pallid and subglabrous at apex, reddish brown below, covered with a tawny (7C-D8; mars orange, english red, tawny) tomentum or strigosity which is often inconspicuous in wet weather; interior hollow.
Spore deposit white. Spores 6.2-8.4 x 3.5-4.2 µm, lacrymoid to ellipsoid in profile, obovoid in face or back view, smooth, inamyloid, acyanophilous. Basidia 17.5-24.5 x 6.3-9.8 µm, clavate to subclavate, four sterigmate, not siderophilous. Pleurocystidia absent. Cheilocystidia inconspicuous, often collapsed on lamellar edge, 24.5-50 µm long, cylindric to strangulated or irregularly lobed and knobbed. Lamellar trama parallel to interwoven, inamyloid; hyphae smooth, 4.2-7 µm in diam. Pileus trama interwoven, inamyloid; hyphae smooth. Pileipellis a layer of repent, branched hyphae, often bifurcate, not diverticulate or coralloid, not radially arranged; hyphae 3.5-7(-10.5) µm in diam, coarsely encrusted with a yellow brown pigment which does not dissolve in alkali. Stipitipellis a layer of parallel, vertically orient ed hyphae; cells 3.5-4.9 µm in diam, with walls containing a brown pigment, not encrusted, becoming green in alkali, giving rise to long, cylindric to contorted, branched, septate caulocystidia, with walls up to 1.4 µm thick. Stipe tramal hypahe hyaline,not encrusted. Clamp connections present in all tissues.
Macrochemical reactions: KOH and NH4OH green on stipe surface.
Habit, habitat, and distribution: Solitary, scattered, gregarious or cespitose on leaf and needle litter in deciduous, mixed or pine forests; rarely on sand. Occuring from July to October in eastern North America, and also during February and December in Louisiana and Florida.
Discussion: The most striking feature of this species is the rusty brown, tomentose stipe with an incrassate spongy base. The color contrasts markedly with that of the pileus which is soon pale. Also, the reaction of the stipe surface to alkali is an important characteristic. Other species with similar stipes that might be confused with Gymnopus spongiosus are G. biformis, G. semihirtipes, and G. pinastris. Gymnopus biformis, however, does not have alkali-soluble pigments, the pileus is much darker, and, in addition to diverticulate branchlets in the pileipellis, it has cheilocystidia which are quite conspicuous. Also, G. biformis usually grows on soil. Gymnopus pinastris, on the other hand, appears to be confined to needle litter of spruce, fir, and pine, has an alliaceous odor and lacks a green reaction to alkali. It also has extremely thick-walled caulocystidia. Gymnopus semihirtipes is easily differentiated from G. spongiosus because of the dark brown, granular pigment that encrusts the hyphal walls in the stipe trama.
Gymnopus erythropus (Pers.:Fr.) Antonín, et al., Mycotaxon 63: 364. 1997.
Agaricus erythropus Pers., Syn. Meth. Fung. 367. 1801.
Agaricus erythropus Pers.:Fr. Syst. Mycol. 1: 122. 1821.
Marasmius erythropus (Pers.:Fr.) Quél., Mém. Soc. Émul. Montbéliard, sér. 2, 5: 221. 1872.
Collybia erythropus (Pers.:Fr.) Kummer, Führ. Pilzk. 115. 1871.
Marasmius kirchneri Thuem., Fungi Austr. Exs., no. 909. 1874.
Collybia kirchneri (Thuem.) Halling & Baroni in Baroni & Halling, Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 49: 176. 1989.
Marasmius bresadolae Kühn. & Romagn., Flore Analytique. 88. 1953.
Collybia kuehneriana Singer, Persoonia 2: 24. 1961.
Agaricus marasmioides Britzelm., Ber. Naturwiss. Vereins Schwaben Neuburg 31: 162. 1894.
Mycena marasmioides (Brtizelm.) Sacc., Syll. Fung.21: 23. 1895.
Collybia marasmioides (Britzelm.) Bresinsky & Stangl in Stangl & Bresinsky, Z. Pilzk. 35: 67. 1969.
Pileus brown (7E5-6 to 6D-E5-6) when fresh, but rapidly hygrophanous and fading to light brown (6-7D4) to brownish orange (6C4-5) to grayish orange (5B-C4) to finally a pale brownish buff (between 5B3 and 5C4) to pale buff (between 5B3 and 4A2), 4-55 mm broad, convex at first, becoming plano-convex to plane, uplifted on some with age, moist becoming dry and opaque, densely white pubescent overall on young buttons at first, rapidly glabrescent to near margin, margin often remaining white pubescent, surface smooth overall or somewhat wrinkled on some, margin inrolled to incurved at first, becoming decurved to plane with age. Flesh pallid to nearly white, 1-3 mm thick, pliant. Taste not distinctive. Odor fragrant mushroom-like when many fruit bodies present, otherwise not distinctive. Lamellae pallid to pale cream (near 4A2 at first), becoming cream with age (near 4A3), in one collection many old, overmature caps with vinaceous-brown spots over faces and edges (frost damage?), adnexed to emarginate, subdistant to close, moderately broad to broad, (l-) 2-4 (-5)mm, 2-3 tiers of lamellulae, edges concolorous, fimbriate at first, becoming irregularly eroded with age. Stipe bicolorous with upper 5-10 mm of apex pallid (near 5A2) to pale grayish orange (6B2, 5-6C3) and dark brown below (7E-F5-7) to dark reddish brown (8E4-5, 8-9F4-5) which may become paler with age, 15-50 mm long, 1-8 mm thick, equal or slightly enlarged downwards, usually terete but some compressed, especially at apex, brittle or fibrous brittle, glabrous or some producing sparse irregularly distributed orange-brown tomentum at the base, dry or moist, shiny, stuffed at first, hollow with age, tissue of stipe rind-like around central pith, rind context concolorous with surface.
Basidiospores white in deposit, 6-8.5 x 3 5-4 µm, lacrymoid in profile, ovoid to ellipsoid in face and back views, inamyloid, smooth, acyanophilous, slightly greenish in alkali. Pasidia 21-30 x 4.5-7 µm, clavate to subclavate, 4-sterigmate, not siderophilous. Pleurocystidia not differentiated. Cheilocystidia subclavate, strangulated, furcate to subclavate with a short mucro when young, becoming rather inconspicuous with age and then collapsing or sometimes with a filamentous prolongation at the apex, this latter sometimes branched, 25-40 ILm long. Lamellar trama of parallel to interwoven, inamyloid, mostly cylindric hyphae, 3.5-8.5 Lm diam., with age becoming branched and inflated and some with walls thickened to 3.5 m, lacking encrusting pigments and not green in alkali. Pileus context loosely interwoven, inamyloid, with elements 6.8-12.8 (-21) µm broad, sometimes slightly thickwalled like the lamellar trama elements. Pileipellis a layer of repent, branched hyphae, often bifurcate, not diverticulate or coralloid, not radially arranged; hyphae (3.4-)6.8-15.5(-21) µm diam., some elements finely encrusted with pigment. Stipitipellis composed of vertically oriented, thin-walled, cylindric hyphae, 2.5-5.1 µm diam., with some rusty brown, granular, intercellular pigment that becomes green, but does not dissolve, in alkali. Caulocystidia abundant, long, and tangled at the stipe base, sometimes with walls encrusted with rusty brown pigment. Stipe trama composed of hyaline, thick-walled hyphae, usually cylindric but sometimes inflated to 17 Lm in diam., not encrusted with pigment and not changing in alkali. Clamp connections present in all tissues.
Habita, habitat, & distribution: Scattered to cespitose on decaying wood. Known from both eastern and western USA.
Discussion: First reported as Collybia kirchneri by Baroni and Halling (1989) for North America, where it may be rare but widespread (known from California and New York). However, because it is related to that complex of species around Gymnopus dryophilus, and shares some macroscopic resemblance to, and habitat preference (rotten wood) with Gymnopus acervatus some earlier misidentifications are possible.
Gymnopus erythropus is easily distinguished from G. dryophilus and G. acervatus by the distinctive green reaction of the stipe surface when tissues are mounted in alkali solutions and observed under the compound microscope. At least four other species in section Levipedes develop green color reactions in some part of the basidioma when subjected to alkali: G. alkalivirens, G. fuscopurpureus, G. spongiosus, and G. semihirtipes (Halling, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1990). However, in G. alkalivirens, G. fuscopurpureus, and G. semihirtipes, the dark brown intercellular pigment granules are not confined to the stipe surface (also located in at least the stipe tramal tissues), but are soluble and turn greenish in alkaline solutions; pigment granules are lacking in G. spongiosus. In G. erythropus, the dark brown intercellular pigment granules are generally few, restricted to the caulocystidia and stipe surface, and do not dissolve in the presence of alkali.
Gymnopus earleae Murrill, N. Amer. Flora 9: 364. 1916. Micro features #1, Micro features #2, Macro image
Collybia earleae (Murr.) Murrill, Mycologia 8: 218. 1916.
Collybia earleae (Murr.) Coker & Beardslee, J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc. 37: 89. 1921.
Gymnopus agricola Murrill, N. Amer. Flora 9: 360. 1916.
Collybia agricola (Murr.) Murrill, Mycologia 8: 218. 1916.
Pileus (5-)9-30 mm broad, convex with an incurved margin when young, sometimes with a broad umbo, becoming planoconvex to plane, with a decurved margin, occasionally undulate and lobed with age; surface moist and hygrophanous, not striate, glabrous, colored dark brown (58. m. Br; 59. d. Br; mikado brown, cameo brown, russet) when young and fresh, fading to an orangish buff (71. 1. OY; 73. p. OY; 76. 1. y Br; light ochraceous buff, ochraceous buff, light ochraceous salmon, cinnamon buff); context thin (2 mm), pale ochraceous buff or paler; odor absent or slightly unpleasant, taste unpleasant (metallic). Lamellae adnate to sinuate emarginate, seceding with age, close to crowded, occasionally subdistant with age, thin, narrow, pale orangish yellow (73. p. OY; capucine buff) at first, becoming an orangish buff (near 53. m O; pale ochraceous salmon, pale ochraceous buff, ochraceous buff) with age; edges entire, somewhat wavy or uneven. Stipe 22-40(-50) mm long, 1-2(-4) mm thick, equal or sometimes tapering downward, straight, brittle; surface nearly glabrous overall, strigose at the base, colored orangish buff (70. 1. OY; 71. m. OY; ochraceous buff) when young, becoming yellowish orange (ochraceous orange) at the apex and a tawny brown (53. m. 0; 54. br 0; 55. s. Br; ochraceous tawny, tawny, cinnamon rufous) below with age or when handled; basal strigosity a tawny brown (53. m. 0; 54. br 0; cinnamon rufous, tawny), usually binding together a small ball of soil; interior hollow.
Spore deposit white. Spores 5.6-7 x 2.8-3.5 µm, lacrymoid to narrowly ellipsoid in profile, obovoid in face or back view, smooth, inamyloid, acyanophilous. Basidia 15-25.2 x 4.2-5.4 µm, clavate, (two-) four sterigmate, not siderophilous. Pleurocystidia absent. Cheilocystidia usually absent, inconspicuous and rare when present, often collapsed along the lamellar edge, 24.5-30 x 2.2.8 µm, narrowly cylindric to flexuous contorted, rarely diverticulate. Lamellar trama subparallel, inamyloid; hyphae 2.2-7.5 µm in diam, smooth, thin walled. Pileus trama interwoven, inamyloid; hyphae 3.2-7.5 µm in diam; cells smooth and thinwalled. Pileipellis a layer of repent, branched hyphae, often bifurcate, not diverticulate or coralloid, not radially arranged; hyphae (4.8-)5.4-16(-20.5) µm in diam, occasionally with a scattered, very slight encrusting pigment. Stipitipellis a layer of parallel, vertically oriented hyphae; cells 2.2-5.4 µm in diam, yellowish brown in alkali; basal strigosity a mass of cylindric hyphae; cells 2.8-5 µm in diam, smooth, thin walled, hyaline in alkali. Clamp connections present in all tissues.
Habit, habitat, and distribution: Scattered to gregarious or cespitose on wet soil. Occurring during May, June, and July in the northeast, April in Alabama. Reported by Coker and Beardslee (1921) as appearing several times in May. Also reported from California (Vilgalys and Miller, 1983).
Discussion: Gymnopus earleae is distinguished macroscopically from small forms of G. dryophilus by the smaller size, darker colors (especially the lamellae), a habitat on soil, and its tawny, strigose stipe base. Microscopically, inflated cheilocystidia (as opposed to filamentous) are distinctive. Murrill's (1911) illustration of Collybidium dryophilum is G. earleae.
Gymnopus kauffmanii (Halling) Halling, Mycotaxon 63: 364. 1997. Micro features, Macro image
Collybia hariolorum var. inodora Kauffman & Smith, Pap. Michigan Acad. Sci. 17: 157. 1933, non Collybia inodora (Pat.) Orton, Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 29: 85. 1969, non Gymnopus inodorus (Pat.) Antonín & Noordel., Mycotaxon 63: 364. 1997.
Collybia kauffmanii Halling, Mycol. Mem. 8: 1983.
Pileus 20-50 mm broad, convex with an inrolled margin; surface glabrous, moist, lubricous, closely striatulate at the margin when moist, somewhat plicate undulate when faded, with translucent striae; colored dull sordid tan (near sayal brown, but duller), fading to pinkish buff or pale pinkish buff with a paler margin, disc darker becoming more reddish brown on the disc when faded in some; context thin, tough, whitish; odor and taste none. Lamellae adnate or with a tooth (not decurrent), very crowded, narrow (more or less 1.5 mm), white at first, in age flushed pinkish tan and spotted sordid incarnate tan in older basidiomata. Stipe 30-50 mm long, 3-5 mm thick, equal, pliant, hollow with a cartilaginous rind; surface densely tomentose to pubescent up to the apex, whitish above at first, pinkish tan near the base, sordid pinkish tan overall in age (never really bright tawny or reddish), with white rhizomorphs at the base.
Spores (5.6-)6.4-7.7 x 2.8-3.5 µm, lacrymoid to subellipsoid in profile, obovoid to ellipsoid in face or back view, smooth, inamyloid, acyanophilous. Basidia 17.5-28 x 4.8-6.2µm, clavate, four sterigmate, not siderophilous. Pleurocystidia absent. Cheilocystidia scattered, infrequent, somewhat inconspicuous, 31.5-42 µm long, clavate to irregularly cylindric with filamentous, apical prolongations. Lamellar trama parallel, inamyloid; hyphae 3.5-12 µm in diam, smooth, thin walled. Pileus trama interwoven, inamyloid; hyphae 4.2-12 µm in diam, smooth, thin walled. Pileipellis a layer of repent, branched hyphae, often bifurcate, not radially arranged; hyphae (4.2-)5-10.5(-12) µm in diam, thin walled, with brown pigment localized in the walls, breaking up to form scattered encrustations. Stipitipellis a layer of parallel, vertically oriented hyphae; cells 2.8-5(-8) µm in diam, smooth, moderately thick walled, giving rise to a dense vesture of caulocystidia which are 2.8-5.6 µm in diam, cylindric, occasionally somewhat flexuous, smooth and thin walled. Clamp connections present in all tissues.
Habit, habitat, and distribution: Scattered to gregarious on leaf litter of hardwoods. Appearing during late August and September.
Discussion: The sordid-tan pileus, a pallid, dense stipe vesture, the marcescent-pliant texture, lack of a reaction to alkali, a leaf litter subtrate, and the inconspicuous cheilocystidia differentiate Gymnopus kauffmanii from other taxa in section Levipedes.
Gymnopus dryophilus (Bull.:Fr.) Murrill, N. Amer. Flora 9: 362. 1916. Micro features #1, #2 Macro image
Agaricus dryophilus Bull.:Fries, Syst. Mycol. 1:124. 1821.
Marasmius dryophilus (Bull.:Fr.) Karsten, Krit. Ofvers. Finlands Basidsvamp. 103. 1889.
Collybia dryophila (Bull.:Fr.) Kummer, Führ. Pilzk. 115. 1871.
Collybidium dryophilum (Bull.) Murrill, Mycologia 3: 101. 1911.
Pileus 10-50 mm broad, convex with an incurved margin when young, becoming broadly convex to broadly campanulate to plane, sometimes depressed on the disc and uplifted at the margin; surface moist and usually lubricous, hygrophanous, glabrous and even when young, even with age or torn at the margin, occasionally translucent striate at the margin when faded or water soaked, dark reddish brown (8,9,10E8) when young and fresh, soon fading to orangish brown (6,7C-D8,6; 55. s. Br.) toward the margin and remaining darker on the disc, gradually fading to orangish brown on the disc also, eventually a pinkish buff or grayish orange (5B4, 5A2; 53. m. O; 76. 1. y Br; warm buff, pinkish buff, pale orange yellow) overall; context thin (up to 4 mm at the disc), whitish to watery yellow brown with age; odor none to mild, taste mild to slightly unpleasant in older basidiomata. Lamellae adnexed to nearly free, crowded to close, thin, narrow to moderately broad, broadest near the stipe, whitish to pinkish buff when young, becoming light buff (3A3,2; 89. p. Y; light buff) with age; edges straight and entire, often eroded with age. Stipe l0-50(-90) mm long, 2-5(-8) mm thick, generally strict and equal, sometimes expanded at the apex and base or subclavate to abruptly bulbous at the base, often with white rhizomorphs, somewhat pliant to stringy fibrous; surface dry, glabrous when young, faintly striate with age, occasionally subsulcate when old, sometimes finely whitish pruinose at the base, colored whitish or concolorous with the lamellae at the apex, light buff (3A3,2; 86. 1. Y; 89. p. Y; warm buff) below at first, soon darkening to become more or less concolorous with the pileus or orange yellow (66. v. OY; 69. deep OY; orange, saffron), typically more or less concolorous with the apex at the base; interior soon becoming hollow.
Spore deposit white to pale yellowish white (2A2) when fresh, pale yellowish when dry. Spores (4.8-)5.6-6.4(-7) x 2.8-3.5 µm, lacrymoid to ellipsoid in profile, ellipsoid to obovoid in face or back view, smooth, inamyloid, acyanophilous. Basidia 14-18 x 5.6-7 µm, clavate to subclavate, four sterigmate, not siderophilous. Pleurocystidia absent. Cheilocystidia 15.4-49 µm long, scattered to abundant, often collapsing along lamellar edge in older basidiomata, clavate contorted to diverticulate or irregularly lobed, sometimes furcate. Lamellar trama parallel, inamyloid; hyphae 4.2-10.5 µm in diam, smooth, thin walled, at times slightly inflated. Pileus trama interwoven, inamyloid; hyphae 4.9-11.2 µm in diam, frequently branched, cylindric, smooth, thin walled. Pileipellis a layer of repent, branched hyphae, often bifurcate, not diverticulate or coralloid, not radially arranged; hyphae 4.2-10.5(-14) µm in diam, with scattered, brown encrusting pigment, thin walled. Stipitipellis a layer of parallel, vertically oriented hyphae; cells 2.2-5 µm in diam, smooth, thin walled, rarely giving rise to cylindric caulocystidia, up to 7 µm in diam. Clamp connections present in all tissues.
All parts of the basidiomata occasionally parasitized by species of Syzygospora
Macrochemical reactions: Guaiac--pileus context slowly green.
Habit, habitat, and distribution: Scattered, gregarious or sometimes cespitose on humus or well decayed wood in conifer-hardwood forests. Appearing from June through September. Widely distributed.
Discussion: Gymnopus dryophilus is perhaps the most commonly collected and most widely distributed species in the genus. Because of its widespread occurrence, G. dryophilus is often illustrated in mushroom field guides (Smith 1949, 1963, Miller 1972, Groves 1975) and more often than not is described as edible (Kauffman 1918, Smith 1949, 1963, Kühner and Romagnesi 1953, Groves 1975). In these works, where a technical description is provided, a comparison of G. dryophilus to R. butyracea is invariably made and often there is a suggestion that these two taxa intergrade with one another. This confusion may be due, in part, to the fact that these species often are growing at the same time and in similar habitats. Moreover, a large number of apparently closely related species, varieties, and forms of both species has been described which seem to be, for the most part, imperceptibly distinct. However, Vilgalys and Miller (1983, 1987) have presented convincing evidence that there are several taxa reminiscent of G. dryophilus that deserve recognition. Originally, these included C. brunneola Vilgalys and Miller and C. subsulphurea Peck in North America and C. aquosa (Bull.:Fr.) Kummer, C. alpina Vilgalys and Milller, and C. ocior (Pers.) Vilgalys and Miller in Europe. Since then, Vilgalys (1991) has suggested subspecific status for C. brunneola (under C. ocior) and C. subsulphurea (under C. alpina) based on population genetics and DNA hybridization. Excellent descriptions can be found in Vilgalys and Miller (1983).
Key to Species of Section Levipedes 