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Mycena haematopus [ Basidiomycetes > Agaricales > Tricholomataceae > Mycena . . . ] by Michael Kuo If you combine blackberry picking with your mushrooming, you may not notice the feature that defines this little mushroom: it exudes a purplish juice that stains your fingers. Sometimes called the "Bleeding Mycena," Mycena haematopus is one of the few Mycena species that is easily recognized. The purple juice comes out readily when the mushroom's flesh is squeezed--especially in the base of the stem. It grows on dead wood, separating it from the other Bleeding Mycena, Mycena sanguinolenta, which is terrestrial. Mycena haematopus is probably edible, but it is much too small to consider collecting for the table. I don't recommend experimenting. Description: Ecology: Saprobic on decaying wood of hardwoods and conifers (usually on logs that are well decayed and without bark); growing in dense clusters (sometimes singly or scattered); causing a white rot, according to Tom Volk (click the link below); widely distributed in North America; spring, summer, and fall; common. Cap: 1-3.5 cm; oval, becoming broadly bell-shaped or conic; the margin often with a tiny sterile portion, becoming tattered; dry and dusted with fine powder when young, becoming smooth and tacky; sometimes shallowly lined or grooved; dark reddish brown at the center, lighter towards the margin. Gills: Narrowly attached to the stem; close or nearly distant; whitish, becoming grayish to purplish; stained reddish brown. Stem: 4-8 cm long; 1-2 mm thick; equal; hollow; smooth or with pale reddish hairs; exuding a purplish red juice when crushed or broken. Flesh: Insubstantial; pallid or colored like the cap; exuding a purplish red juice when crushed or cut. Taste: Mild or slightly bitter; odor not distinctive. Spore Print: White. Microscopic Features: Spores 8-11 x 5-7 µ; broadly elliptical. Smith (1947) records Mycena haematopus var. marginata, with reddish gill edges and spores 9-12 x 6-7 µ. Evenson (1997) records Mycena haematopus var. cuspidata on the wood of Quaking Aspen in the Rocky Mountains. REFERENCES: (Fries, 1821) Quélet, 1872. (Kauffman, 1918; Smith, 1947; Smith, Smith & Weber, 1979; Arora, 1986; Phillips, 1991/2005; Lincoff, 1992; Evenson, 1997; Barron, 1999.) Herb. Kuo 09029511, 08270201. Further Online Information: Mycena haematopus in Smith, 1947 |
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Cite this page as: Kuo, M. (2004, November). Mycena haematopus. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/mycena_haematopus.html |