''Mycena alnicola'', is a mushroom species in the family
Mycenaceae
The Mycenaceae are a family of fungi in the order Agaricales. According to the ''Dictionary of the Fungi'' (10th edition, 2008), the family contains 10 genera and 705 species. This is one of several families that were separated from the Tricholom ...
. It usually grows in
temperate forest
A temperate forest is a forest found between the tropical and boreal regions, located in the temperate zone. It is the second largest biome on our planet, covering 25% of the world's forest area, only behind the boreal forest, which covers abou ...
s, associated with alders. First described by
A.H. Smith in the Olympic Mountains, Washington, USA. He remarks that the bluish-gray cast is more pronounced than usual. He also described a variety ''Mycena alnicola var. odora'' with an odor and taste
raphanoid.
Description
The
cap is 1–2.5 cm wide. At first campanulate-obtuse, to convex at maturity. The pileus has a pale blue luster in younger specimens; the cap is hygrophanous. The cap disk is dark brown, and the rest of the cap is light brown (or beige), the margin usually whitish. The pileus margin is furrowed-striated.
The
gills are adnate, interveined, and narrow to moderately broad. The gill color is gray and has entire ridges.
The
stem
Stem or STEM may refer to:
Plant structures
* Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang
* Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure
* Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...
is 4–6 cm long × 1.5–2 mm wide, equal, hollow; covered with a dense white bloom in the stipe apex. The stipe color is dark beige to dark mouse gray, cap-colored at maturity. Smell and flavor is sweet.
Basidia with four sterigmata, basidiospores ellipsoid, smooth, amyloid, (6) 7–9 (10) × 4–5 μm.
Cheilocystidia present, clavate to broadly fusiform; subcylindrical to spindle-shaped or sometimes with one or two protuberances; smooth or with low incrustation at apex in KOH. Cheilocystidia size range: 26–40 × 8–17 μm. Pleurocystida are rare.
Similar species
''
Mycena abramsii
''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 b ...
'' and ''
Mycena leptocephala
''Mycena leptocephala'', commonly known as the nitrous bonnet, is a species of fungus in the family Mycenaceae. The mushrooms have conical grayish caps that reach up to in diameter, and thin fragile stems up to long. The gills are gray an ...
'' are similar but these species have bleach or chlorine odor.
Ecology
In wood and logs (usually from ''Alnus'')
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q55624281
alnicola
''Alnicola'' is a genus of fungi in the family Hymenogastraceae of the order Agaricales. The genus has a widespread distribution, and contains 60 species that usually form mycorrhizal relationships with species of Alder. The genus name is synonym ...
Taxa named by Alexander H. Smith
Fungi described in 1941