''Hygrophorus purpurascens'', commonly known as the veiled purple hygrophorus, is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
agaric
An agaric () is a type of fungus fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus (cap) that is clearly differentiated from the stipe (stalk), with lamellae (gills) on the underside of the pileus. In the UK, agarics are called "mushrooms ...
fungus in the family
Hygrophoraceae
The Hygrophoraceae are a family of fungi in the order Agaricales. Originally conceived as containing white-spored, thick-gilled agarics (gilled mushrooms), including ''Hygrophorus'' and ''Hygrocybe'' species (the waxcaps or waxy caps), DNA evide ...
. Its
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 ...
has a pink background color with streaks of purplish red overlaid, and mature
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 ...
have red spots.
Taxonomy
The species was originally described as ''Agaricus purpurascens'' by
Johannes Baptista von Albertini
Johannes Baptista von Albertini (17 February 1769 – 6 December 1831) was a German botanist, mycologist and clergyman of the Moravian Church. He was born in the town of Neuwied.
He studied theology in Niesky and at the seminary in Barby. During ...
and
Lewis David de Schweinitz
Lewis David de Schweinitz (13 February 1780 – 8 February 1834) was a German-American botanist and mycologist. He is considered by some the "Father of North American Mycology", but also made significant contributions to botany.
Education
B ...
in 1805.
Elias Fries
Elias Magnus Fries (15 August 1794 – 8 February 1878) was a Swedish mycologist and botanist.
Career
Fries was born at Femsjö (Hylte Municipality), Småland, the son of the pastor there. He attended school in Växjö.
He acquired an ...
transferred it to the genus ''
Hygrophorus
''Hygrophorus'' is a genus of agarics (gilled mushrooms) in the family Hygrophoraceae. Called "woodwaxes" in the UK or "waxy caps" (together with ''Hygrocybe'' species) in North America, basidiocarps (fruit bodies) are typically fleshy, often wi ...
'' in 1838.
Paul Kummer
Paul Kummer (22 August 1834 – 6 December 1912) was a minister, teacher, and scientist in Zerbst, Germany, known chiefly for his contribution to mycological nomenclature. Earlier classification of agarics by pioneering fungal taxonomist Elias Ma ...
's 1871 ''Limacium purpurascens'' is a
synonym
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...
. The
specific epithet
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
''purpurascens'' means "becoming purple". It is
commonly known as the "veiled purple hygrophorus".
Description
The cap is convex to flattened, measuring in diameter. The color is pinkish red in the center to white, often irregularly tinged with pink. The
flesh
Flesh is any aggregation of soft tissues of an organism. Various multicellular organisms have soft tissues that may be called "flesh". In mammals, including humans, ''flesh'' encompasses muscle
Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as mu ...
is white. The gills have a
decurrent
''Decurrent'' (sometimes decurring) is a term used in botany and mycology to describe plant or fungal parts that extend downward.
In botany, the term is most often applied to leaf blades that partly wrap or have wings around the stem or petio ...
attachment to the
stipe and are white to pale pink spotted with pinkish or purplish red. The stipe measures long by wide, and is more or less the same color as the cap, often spotted with dark red.
Fruit bodies are
edible
An edible item is any item that is safe for humans to eat. "Edible" is differentiated from "eatable" because it does not indicate how an item tastes, only whether it is fit to be eaten. Nonpoisonous items found in nature – such as some mushroo ...
.
The
spore print
300px, Making a spore print of the mushroom ''Volvariella volvacea'' shown in composite: (photo lower half) mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; (photo upper half) cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print. A 3.5-centimeter ...
is white.
Spores
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 ...
are thin-walled, elliptical, smooth, and measure 5.5–8 by 3–4.5
µm
The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American spelling), also commonly known as a micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Unit ...
. The
basidia
A basidium () is a microscopic sporangium (a spore-producing structure) found on the hymenophore of fruiting bodies of basidiomycete fungi which are also called tertiary mycelium, developed from secondary mycelium. Tertiary mycelium is highly-c ...
(spore-bearing cells) are narrowly club-shaped, thin-walled, four-spored, and measure 40–56 by 5–8 µm.
''
Hygrophorus russula
''Hygrophorus russula'', commonly known as the pinkmottle woodwax, false russula and russula-like waxy cap, is a fungus native to North America and Europe.
German naturalist Jacob Christian Schäffer described the species as ''Agaricus russula'' ...
'' is similar in appearance to ''H. purpurascens'', but the former species can be distinguished by its tendency to bruise yellow, and its association with hardwood trees.
Habitat and distribution
The fruit bodies of ''Hygrophorus purpurascens'' grow on the ground in clusters or groups under
conifer
Conifers are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single ...
trees.
A
snowbank mushroom
A snowbank fungus is any one of a number of diverse species of fungi that occur adjacent to or within melting snow. They are most commonly found in the mountains of western North America where a deep snowpack accumulates during the winter and sl ...
, it is commonly found fruiting near the edges of snowbanks, or shortly after snowmelt.
See also
*
List of ''Hygrophorus'' species
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q76836
Fungi described in 1805
Fungi of North America
purpurascens