Mycena galericulata (Scop.: Fr.) S. F. Gray
Nat. Arrang. Br. Pl. 1: 619. 1821.

Common Name: none

• Pileus

  Cap 2.0-5.0 cm broad, obtuse-conic to bell-shaped, expanding to plano-convex, sometimes plano- depressed; margin incurved, then decurved, eventually plane to raised, occasionally wavy; surface moist, striate-wrinkled to near the disc at maturity, color: buff-brown, tan-brown, pale brownish-grey, the margin lighter than the disc, darker overall with age; context white, unchanging, thin, up to 2.5 mm at the disc; odor and taste farinaceous.

• Lamellae

  Gills adnexed to notched with a decurrent tooth, close when young, subdistant at maturity, ventricose, up to 8.0 mm wide, intervenose, pallid to white in youth, pale-grey to buff-brown in age, sometimes tinged pinkish, lamellulae up to 4-seried, edges smooth, not marginate.

• Stipe

  Stipe 3-14 cm long, 2.0-5.0 mm thick, more or less equal, slender, often sinuose, stuffed to hollow, cartilaginous; surface glabrous when young, becoming appressed-striate to twisted-striate, hairy at the base, the latter root-like and prolonged into the substrate; color pallid to cream at the apex, lower portion cream-buff to light-brown, dull grey-brown in some specimens, especially near the base; partial veil absent.

• Spores

  Spores 8.5-10.5 x 6.0-7.5 µm, broadly ellipsoid to ovoid, smooth, thin-walled, hilar appendage conspicuous, amyloid; spore print white.

• Habitat

  Scattered to clustered on hardwood logs and stumps; fruiting from after the fall rains to mid-winter.

• Edibility

  Edible, but untried locally.

• Comments

  One of the larger members of the genus, Mycena galericulata is recognized by a pale-brown, striate-wrinkled cap, clustered habit on decaying hardwood logs, and a rooting, hairy stipe. It is most likely to be confused with two other wood-rotting Mycenas, M. maculata and M. haematopus. Mycena maculata is similarly colored and equally common, but can be distinguished by sordid reddish-brown discolorations which develop in age. Mycena haematopus differs in having a vinaceous-brown cap with a minutely scalloped margin, and has a stipe that bleeds reddish-brown juice when injured.

• References

  Perry, Brian A. (2002). A Taxonomic Investigation of Mycena in California. Masters Thesis, San Francisco State University: San Francisco, CA. 157 p.
  Mass Geesteranus, R. A. (1992). Mycenas of the Northern Hemisphere. II. Conspectus of the Mycenas of the Northern Hemisphere. Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Vetenschappen: Amsterdam, Netherlands. 493 p.
  Robich, Giovanni (2003). Mycena D'Europa. Associazione Micologica Bresadola: Trento, Italy. 728 p.
  Smith, Alexander H. (1947). North American Species of Mycena. University of Michigan Press: Ann Arbor, MI. 521 p.

• Other Descriptions and Photos
  • Fred Stevens: Mycena galericulata (CP)
  • Michael Wood: Mycena galericulata (CP)
  • Boleslaw Kuznik -- Hunting for Mushrooms: Mycena galericulata (CP)
  • Na Grzyby: Mycena galericulata (D & CP)
  • Mycena Page: Mycena galericulata (CP)
  • George Barron's Fungi of Canada (East): Mycena galericulata (D & CP)
  • Pilze, Pilze, Pilze: Mycena galericulata (CP)
  • Mushroom Observer: Mycena galericulata (CP)
  • Arora (1986): p. 235 (D), p. 236 (P)
  • Breitenbach & Kränzlin (vol. 3): sp. 338
  • Jordan: p. 175 (D & CP)
  • Lincoff: p. 780 (D), plate 6 (CP)
  • Miller: sp. 152 (D & CP)
  • Smith & Weber: sp. 128 (D & CP)
  
  

  (D=Description; I=Illustration; P=Photo; CP=Color Photo)