The Bolbitiaceae are a

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is t ...

-forming

basidiomycete Basidiomycota () is one of two large divisions that, together with the Ascomycota, constitute the subkingdom Dikarya (often referred to as the "higher fungi") within the kingdom Fungi. Members are known as basidiomycetes. More specifically, Basi ...

fungi. A 2008 estimate placed 17

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

and 287 species in the family. Bolbitiaceae was

circumscribed In geometry, the circumscribed circle or circumcircle of a polygon is a circle that passes through all the vertices of the polygon. The center of this circle is called the circumcenter and its radius is called the circumradius. Not every polyg ...

by mycologist

Rolf Singer Rolf Singer (June 23, 1906 – January 18, 1994) was a Germany, German-born mycologist and one of the most important Taxonomy (biology), taxonomists of gilled mushrooms (agarics) in the 20th century. After receiving his Ph.D. at the University ...

in 1948.

Description

This family is of

-forming species that have a

hymenium The hymenium is the tissue layer on the hymenophore of a fungal fruiting body where the cells develop into basidia or asci, which produce spores. In some species all of the cells of the hymenium develop into basidia or asci, while in others some ...

gills A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

, brown

spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...

s and a hymenoderm

pileipellis The pileipellis is the uppermost layer of hyphae in the pileus of a fungal fruit body In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowe ...

Differences in genera

Bolbitius ''Bolbitius'' is a genus of small mushrooms in the family Bolbitiaceae. Description The genus ''Bolbitius'' is defined as small thin ''Mycena''-like mushrooms, with a hymenoderm pileipellis, a glutinous cap surface, and spores that are brown i ...

'' are mushrooms which are thin, ''

Mycena ''Mycena'' is a large genus of small saprotrophic mushrooms that are rarely more than a few centimeters in width. They are characterized by a white spore print, a small conical or bell-shaped cap, and a thin fragile stem. Most are gray or br ...

''-like, with gelatinous

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...

surface. These lack a

veil A veil is an article of clothing or hanging cloth that is intended to cover some part of the head or face, or an object of some significance. Veiling has a long history in European, Asian, and African societies. The practice has been prominent ...

, are

saprotrophic Saprotrophic nutrition or lysotrophic nutrition is a process of chemoheterotrophic extracellular digestion involved in the processing of decayed (dead or waste) organic matter. It occurs in saprotrophs, and is most often associated with fungi ( ...

, and tend to be found with grass. ''

Conocybe ''Conocybe'' is a genus of mushrooms with ''Conocybe tenera'' as the type species and at least 243 other species. There are at least 50 different species in North America. Most have a long, thin fragile stipe and are delicate, growing in grassl ...

'' are mushrooms which are thin, ''Mycena''-like, with a dry cap surface. These are small and saprotrophic, and tend to be found with grass. These have cheilocystidia which are capitate. ''

Pholiotina ''Pholiotina'' is a genus of small agaric fungi. It was circumscribed by Swiss mycologist Victor Fayod in 1889 for ''Conocybe''-like species with partial veils. The genus has since been expanded to include species lacking partial veils. Taxonomi ...

'' are mushrooms which are thin, ''Mycena''-like, with a dry cap surface. These are small and saprotrophic, and tend to be found with grass, and have a veil. Some have a membranous veil, mid- stipe, others the veil breaks up and can be found on the cap margin. These are separated from

in that the cheilocystidia are non-capitate. '' Descolea'' includes ''Pholiotina''-like mushrooms that are ectomycorrhizal and have limoniform spores.

References

* *

Bolbitiaceae The Bolbitiaceae are a family of mushroom-forming basidiomycete fungi. A 2008 estimate placed 17 genera and 287 species in the family. Bolbitiaceae was circumscribed by mycologist Rolf Singer in 1948. Description This family is of mushroom-for ...

Taxa named by Rolf Singer {{Agaricales-stub

Description

Differences in genera

See also

References