Mycena Section Polyadelphia Singer ex
Maas Geest. in Europe comprises 24 species, of which 7 are
found in Norway. All the species are characterized by a
very small size, and they are growing on fallen, decaying
leaves of deciduous trees, herbaceous stems, or fronds and
rhizomes of ferns.
After Maas Geesteranus had published his work (1992), fourteen
new species have been proposed: Mycena exilis Aronsen & Gulden and Mycena terena
Aronsen & Maas Geest. from Norway, M. dasypus
Maas Geest. & Læssøe and M.
truncosalicicola Reid from England, M.
cistophila Moreno & Heykoop, M.
bertaultiana Moreno &
Heykoop, M. querciphila Esteve-Raventós
& Villarreal, M. pinophila
Villarreal, Arenal & Rubio, and M. verrucosocystis Robich from Spain, M. albida Robich from Switzerland, and M.
albidoaquosa Robich, M. alniphila
Robich, M. angusta Robich, M. calangianuensis
Robich, M. catalaunica Robich, M. quercincola Robich, M.
rhamnicola Robich and M. tenuipellucida Robich from Italy.
Villarreal et al. (2002) transfered M. cistophila to sect. Cinerellae Singer
ex Maas Geest, but for the time being I keep it in the key.
The species so far known in Norway are Mycena capillaris
(Schumach.) P. Kumm., M. exilis Aronsen & Gulden, M. lohwagii Singer, M.
polyadelpha (Lasch) Kühner, M. riparia
Maas Geest., M. smithiana Kühner, and M.
terena Aronsen & Maas Geest.
Key to the European species (partly compilation
from the available literature, not updated):
1. Cheilocystidia covered with
thin excrescences |
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2. Basidiomata with pink,
vinaceous, purplish or violaceous tints |
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3. Clamps present: |
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4. Pileus greyish brown to vinaceous buff
or pale pink, cheilocystidia somewhat irrgularly shaped.
Growing on decaying leaf sheaths of riparian plants
(Juncus, Carex): M. juncicola |
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4. Pileus greyish white, pinkish colour
only present at the base of the stipe, cheilocystidia
regularly shaped. Found on Pinus litter and
twigs of Quercus: M.dasypus
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4. Pinkish colour only present in the
lamellae, cheilocystidia regularly shaped. Growing on
fallen, decaying leaves of Quercus suber: M.
bertaultiana |
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3. Clamps absent |
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5. Basidia 4-spored. Caulocystidia at
the base of the stipe covered with fairly long, usually
curved excrescences. Growing on Carex, Scirpus
etc:.... M. riparia |
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5. Basidia 2-spored |
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6. Caulocystidia at the base of the stipe
covered with short, straight excrescences. Spores cylindrical.
Growing on fallen, decaying leaves of Quercus:.... M.
smithiana |
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6. Caulocystidia covered with short excrescences.
Spores broadly pip-shaped to subglobose. Growing on
leaves of Quercus ilex:..... M.
catalaunica |
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2. Basidiomata without
pink, vinaceous, purplish or violaceous tints |
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7. Spores pip-shaped to almost cylindrical |
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8. Base of the stipe attached to the substratum
by a whorl of radiating mycelial hyphae |
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9. Mycelial hyphae radiating from
the base dark brown:.............. M.
capillaris |
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9. Mycelial hyphae radiating from
the base of the stipe whitish |
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10. Growing densely cespitose
on fern rhizomes: .. M.
lohwagii |
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10. Growing solitary or in twos. Found
on Pinus litter and twigs of Quercus:
M. dasypus |
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10. Growing gregarious on Cistus
ladonifer: M.
cistophila |
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8. Stipe insititious (base of the stipe
not or not visibly attached to the substratum by a whorl
of radiating hyphae) |
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11. Lamellae decurrent with a tooth or
really decurrent. |
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12. Basidiomata entirely white. Spores
broadly pip-shaped, up to 5 um broad. Cheilocystidia
subglobose. Found in a hothouse: M. invisibilis |
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12. Basidiomata entirely white. Spores
elongated pip-shaped. Cheilocystidia clavate to obpyriform.
Growing on fallen leaves of Quercus: M.
polyadelphia |
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12. Pileus dark greyish-brown at the centre,
whitish-grey at the margin, stipe greyish-brown below.
Cheilocystidia clavate. Growing on decayed needles of
Pinus sylvestris: Mycena pinophila |
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11. Lamellae not decurrent with a tooth.
Stipe originally dark or pale grey-brown. |
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13. Pileus white to greyish. Spores almost
cylindrical. Growing on fallen leaves of Fagus:
M. capillaris |
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13. Pileus pale brown.Spores pip-shaped.
Growing on fallen leaves of Alnus viridis:
M. alniphila |
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7. Spores broadly pip-shaped to subglobose,
5 - 7 um broad. On fallen leaves of Quercus
(Q. ilex, Q. faginea, and Q. rotundifolia)
Grey, turning white:............. M. quercus-ilicis |
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7. Spores broadly pip-shaped to subglobose,
4.5 - 6 um broad. Found on standing trunk of Salix
caprea. Entirely white: M. truncosalicicola |
1. Cheilocystidia smooth |
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14. Pileus pale olive-yellow, yellowish-brown,
dark olivaceous-grey. Lamellae concolorous. Growing
on leaves of Quercus ilex subsp. ballota:
M. querciphila |
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14. Pileus pale grey to whitish. Lamellae
white. Stipe at first black. Growing on Salix
leaves: M. terena |
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