Omphalinoid Mushrooms

[ Basidiomycetes . . . ]

by Michael Kuo

"Omphalinoid" mushrooms form a fairly distinctive group among the gilled mushrooms; they are small species with gills that run down the stem, thin stems, and caps that are funnel-shaped or depressed by maturity ( means "belly button" in Greek). Most have pale spore prints. Some species are brightly colored (yellow and orange), while others are brownish or darker. Many omphalinoid mushrooms grow in moss, or are associated with lichens--but others are found on wood or on the ground.

The genus names involved with omphalinoid mushrooms change every second Tuesday, give or take, but Omphalina was obviously once one of the forerunners. Other genera include Arrhenia, Gerronema, Xeromphalina, Chrysomphalina, and Rickenella--and many species of Clitocybe are omphalinoid. I would share with you the various features that separate these genera, but they are often obscure (for example, the "sarcodimitic tissues" of Gerronema) and, more importantly, likely to change before you read this. At the moment, Lichenomphalina and Ampulloclitocybe are under consideration, among other names, as DNA studies attempt to sort this mess out (so far these studies have only confused things further by throwing the waxy caps into the genetic mix--see the Hygrophoroid/Omphalinoid Group--but we can always hope).

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At MushroomExpert.Com:

Gerronema strombodes
Omphalina epichysium
Rickenella fibula
Xeromphalina campanella
Xeromphalina kauffmanii

Elsewhere:

Chrysomphalina chrysophylla at MykoWeb
Omphalina pyxidata at MykoWeb
Rickenella fibula at MykoWeb
Rickenella swartzii at MykoWeb
Xeromphalina campanella at MykoWeb

Cantharellula umbonata at Roger's Mushrooms
Clitocybe asterospora at Roger's Mushrooms
Clitocybe hydrogramma at Roger's Mushrooms
Gerronema chrysophylla at Roger's Mushrooms
Gerronema strombodes at Roger's Mushrooms
Myxomphalia maura at Roger's Mushrooms
Omphalina ectypoides at Roger's Mushrooms
Omphalina ericetorum at Roger's Mushrooms
Omphalina griseopallida at Roger's Mushrooms
Omphalina luteovitellina at Roger's Mushrooms
Omphalina postii at Roger's Mushrooms
Omphalina pyxidata at Roger's Mushrooms
Omphalina wynniae at Roger's Mushrooms
Rickenella fibula at Roger's Mushrooms
Rickenella swartzii at Roger's Mushrooms
Xeromphalina campanella at Roger's Mushrooms
Xeromphalina fulvipes at Roger's Mushrooms
Xeromphalina tenuipes at Roger's Mushrooms

References

Arora, D. (1986). Mushrooms demystified: A comprehensive guide to the fleshy fungi. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press. 959 pp.

Bigelow, H. E. (1970). Omphalina in North America. Mycologia 62: 1-32.

Bigelow, H. E. (1982). North American species of Clitocybe. Part I. Germany: Cramer. 280 pp.

Bigelow, H. E. (1985). North American species of Clitocybe. Part II. Germany: Cramer. 191 pp.

Kauffman, C.H. (1918). The gilled mushrooms (Agaricaceae) of Michigan and the Great Lakes region, Volumes I and II. New York: Dover. 924 pp. (1971 Reprint.)

Lange, M. (1981). Typification and delimitation of Omphalina Quel. Nordic Journal of Botany 1: 691-696.

Lutzoni, F. M. (1997). Phylogeny of lichen- and non-lichen-forming omphalinoid mushrooms and the utility of testing for combinability among multiple data sets. Systematic Botany 46: 373-406.

Moncalvo, J. M., et al. (2002). One hundred and seventeen clades of euagarics. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 23: 357–400. An online version of this paper is available at: http://www.biology.duke.edu/fungi/mycolab/publications/117clades.html

Moser, M. (1983). Keys to Agarics and Boleti (Polyporales, Boletales, Agaricales, Russulales). Ed. Kibby, G. Transl. Plant, S. London: Roger Phillips. 535 pp.

Norvell, L. L. et al. (1994). Omphalina sensu lato in North America 1-2. 1: Omphalina wynniae and the genus Chrysomphalina. 2: Omphalina sensu Bigelow. Mycotaxon 50: 379-407.

Redhead, S. A. & Weresub, L. K. (1978). On Omphalia and Omphalina. Mycologia 70: 556-568.

Redhead, S. A. (1986). Mycological observations 15-16: On Omphalia and Pleurotus. Mycologia 78: 522-528.

Redhead, S. A. et al. (1995). Omphalina sensu lato in North America 4: O. rosella. Mycologia 87: 880-885.

Redhead, S. A. et al. (2002). Phylogeny of Agarics: Partial systematics solutions for core omphalinoid genera in the Agaricales (Euagarics). Mycotaxon 83: 19-57.

Singer, R. (1964). Die gattung Gerronema. Nova Hedwigia 7: 53-92.

Smith, A. H., Smith, H. V. & Weber, N. S. (1979). How to know the gilled mushrooms. Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown. 334 pp.

Cite this page as:

Kuo, M. (2005, March). Omphalinoid mushrooms. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/omphalinoid.html