Distinguished by the usually very short and eccentric stipe, presence of watery drops on pileus and stipe surface when moist, and by having mostly capitate, spirally-twisted pileo- and caulocystidia, +/- acute cheilocystidia and narrowly fusiform spores.
Pileus 0.5-12 mm wide, hemispherical to convex, becoming plane and often slightly depressed, with involute to straight, often lobed or crenulate margin, minutely pubescent, the hairs often holding drops of water in moist conditions, entirely white becoming somewhat ivory or cream to pale grey with age. Lamellae distant to fairly crowded, 12-20 reaching the stipe, adnate, sometimes with a small decurrent tooth or almost free, well-developed, more or less reaching the margin of the pileus, narrow, white, with minutely flocculose-denticulate edge (lens). Stipe 1-27 x 0.1-1 mm, cylindrical or slightly swollen at base or apex, often very short and sometimes eccentric, or longer and central, entirely minutely pubescent, the hairs often holding drops of water, white, base sometimes with short fibrils. Smell and taste indistinct.
Basidia 20-26 x 6-8 µm, 2- and 4-spored, clavate. Spores 9-11 x 3-4.5 µm, narrowly fusiform to pip shaped, smooth, non-amyloid. Cheilocystidia 22-30 x 4-8 µm, lageniform, subfusiform or clavate, rostrate, subacute to acute. Hyphae of the pileipellis up to 8 µm wide, diverticulate to corraloid. Pileocystidia 30-70 x 4-8.5 µm, more or less cylindrical, often spirally twisted, mostly capitatewith capitulum 5-10 µm wide, basal part often diverticulate. Stipitipellis up to 6 µm wide, diverticulate. Caulocystidia 28-65 x 5-9 µm, +/- cylindrical, with spirally twisted neck and globose, 5-10 µm wide, capitulum, often with diverticulate base. Clamp connections present but infrequent in all tissuses.
In groups on bark of decaying, usually lying, wood of both broadleaved and coniferous trees; always in wet places. Autumn to winter. Only two records from Norway.
Microphotos of the pileocystidia
Microphotos of the caulocystidia
Microphotos of the cheilocystidia |
