Psathyrella candolleana (species cluster)

[ Basidiomycetes > Agaricales > Coprinaceae > Psathyrella . . . ]

by Michael Kuo

Psathyrella candolleana is one of the most variable mushrooms there is, in terms of its cap color. Add to this the fact that there are many closely related species requiring microscopic analysis to separate, and you have an identification nightmare on your hands. If ever there was a candidate for treatment as a "species cluster," this is the mushroom.

That said, recognizing the cluster is not too difficult, if you have a little patience and are willing to override your instincts, which will tell you that a dark brown mushroom, a golden yellow mushroom, and a nearly white mushroom could never be the same. Look at the mature gills, which, like the spore print, are dark brown--a rather "bright" dark brown, if that's possible. The habitat is in lawns or cultivated areas, near buried roots--but also in the woods. The young caps have hanging partial veil remnants on the margins, but there is typically not a persisting ring on the stem. The stem is very fragile, and snaps easily--in fact, the whole mushroom is so fragile that you will be lucky to get it home in one piece.

Psathyrella candolleana is listed as edible in most field guides, but it should not be eaten; identification of this mushroom is not easy. Rather than considering this mushroom for the table, I recommend proving your devotion to the mushroom world by considering Psathyrella Candolleana for your baby girl's first and middle names; there's a nice ring to it!

Description:

Ecology: Saprobic, growing alone or gregariously in lawns, pastures, and cultivated areas--also in woods; typically near trees, their roots, stumps, and so on; spring through fall, or year-round in warmer climates; widely distributed and very common in North America.

Cap: 2-7 cm rounded-conical or convex when young, expanding to broadly convex or flat, often very broadly bell-shaped; smooth; dry; changing color markedly as it dries out; the young margin sometimes with hanging partial veil remnants; the young cap surface also sometimes hung with remnants; color extremely variable, but often honey colored or yellowish brown when young (sometimes brown), becoming two-toned and eventually pale brown to buff.

Gills: Attached to the stem or free from it; whitish at first, becoming grayish and finally dark brown; close or crowded.

Stem: 4-10 cm long; 2-7 mm thick; equal; fragile; white; hollowing; smooth or slightly roughened; almost always without a ring, but sometimes with loosely clinging partial veil remnants appearing like a cortina when young (see top illustration).

Flesh: Very thin; fragile.

Spore Print: Dark brown.

Microscopic Features: Spores 7-10 x 4-5 µ; elliptical; smooth.

REFERENCES: (Fries, 1821) Maire, 1937. (Smith, 1949; Smith, Smith & Weber, 1979; Smith, 1972; Arora, 1986; Phillips, 1991/2005; Lincoff, 1992; Roody, 2003.) Herb. Kuo 04189501, 04269501, 04299502, 08190202.

Psathyrella incerta has a pale yellow cap when young, and spores 6-7.5 x 3.5-4 µ. Psathyrella hymenocephala has a cinnamon-colored cap when young, and spores 6-9 x 3.5-5 µ. Many other species are nearly identical--and all the species in the cluster are probably not yet accounted for. I am not convinced the European and American versions of this species are the same mushroom; compare the photos, linked below, at Fungi of Poland and BioImages (a site in the UK) to the photos here and at MykoWeb, in California, and note the color of the mature gills!

Further Online Information:

Psathyrella candolleana at MykoWeb
Psathyrella candolleana at Fungi of Poland

© MushroomExpert.Com

Cite this page as:

Kuo, M. (2002, August). Psathyrella candolleana (species cluster). Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/psathyrella_candolleana.html