Mycena sect. Cinerellae Singer ex Maas
Geest. is a fairly heterogenous section although it comprises
only ten species. Six of these are little known or only
known from the type locality. The ten species are Mycena
aleuriosma Favre, M.
cinerella (P. Karst) P. Karst., M.
clavicularis (Fr.) Gillet, M.
concolor (J. E. Lange) Kühner, M.
inopinata Maas Geest., M.
madronicola A. H. Sm., M.
pseudopicta (J. E. Lange) Kühner, M.
subconcolor A. H. Sm., M.
subgrisea (Peck) Maas Geest., and M.
winterhoffii Maas Geest. Some mycologists
have also recognized Mycena cineroides Hintikka
as a separate species. Maas Geesteranus (1991: 386), however,
stated that it must be considered as a synonym of M.
cinerella. I am inclined to follow his view.
The key below has been taken from Maas Geesteranus (1986 b)
and slightly modified by me. I have included all the known
species from the Northern Hemisphere. The American species
have been marked with a yellow background.
A taxon collected by me in 1995
does not fit into any of the known species. It would key
out between 4-spored Mycena madronicola and M. cinerella.
The taxon is described and discussed here.
| 1. Basidia 2-spored |
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2. Basidia clamped |
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3. lamellae 11-14 reaching the stipe,
spores 10.8-11.6 x 7.1-8.1 µm: Mycena
winterhoffii |
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3. lamellae 14-20 reaching
the stipe, spores 7.6-9.0 x 4.9-5.8 µm, on bark
of old madroña trees. Only known from Oregon,
United States: Mycena madronicola |
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2. Basidia without clamps |
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4. Odour farinaceous. Cheilocystidia with
short and comparatively rather fine excrescences: Mycena
cinerella |
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4. Odour none or occasionally somewhat
raphanoid. Cheilocystidia with long and often very coarse
excrescences: Mycena
pseudopicta |
| 1. Basidia 4-spored |
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5. Cheilocystidia with generally numerous,
evenly spaced, narrow excrescences |
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6. Stipe glutinous to viscous when wet.
Associated exclusively with coniferous trees: Mycena
clavicularis |
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6. Stipe dry. Only known
from the type which was found on decayed wood of Betula
lutea. United States: Mycena subgrisea |
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5. Cheilocystidia with generally fairly
few, unevenly spaced, usually irregularly shaped, more
or less branched and coarse excrescences |
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7. Spores 2.5-3.5 µm wide. Lamellae
14-16 reaching the stipe. Odour distinctly farinaceous
when cut. Growing on fallen spruce needles. Only known
from the type locality, Switzerland: Mycena
aleuriosma |
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7. Differently characterized. |
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8. Lamellae 10-11 reaching
the stipe. Spores up to 4 µm broad. Growing in
wet places, not on fallen conifer needles. United States,
unsufficiently known: Mycena inopinata |
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8. Lamellae 13-27 reaching the stipe.
Spores 4-6 µm broad |
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9. Odour farinaceous when cut |
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10. Colour of the pileus
with a pronounced brown component. Corticolous on madroña
trees. Known only from Oregon, United States: Mycena
madronicola |
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10. Colour of the pileus darker or more grey-brown.
Not corticolous: Mycena
cinerella |
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9. Odour none or indistinctive |
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11. Spores up to 5.2 µm broad, subcylindrical.
Lamellae ascending to subarcuate. Cheilocystidia covered
with comparatively narrow excrescences: Mycena
concolor |
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11. Spores 5-7 µm broad, fairly
broadly pip-shaped. Lamellae subhorizontal. Cheilocystidia
covered with broad and strikingly coarse excrescences.
Known from the type locality in the United States and
from Greenland: Mycena subconcolor |
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