Mycena haematopus (Pers.) P. Kumm.
Fürh. Pilzk. p. 108. 1871.

Photo: Growing on buried wood

Common Name: none

• Pileus

  Cap 1-3.0 cm broad, hemispheric to campanulate, the margin irregularly hairy, becoming convex and conspicuously striate, occasionally faintly furrowed; surface smooth, dry, hygrophanous, dull vinaceous-brown fading to pale pinkish-brown; flesh, thin, pallid unchanging; odor and taste mild.

• Lamellae

  Gills subdecurrent, moderately broad, close to crowded, dull pinkish-buff, bruising reddish-brown, lamellulae alternating with gills.

• Stipe

  Stipe 2.5-7.0 cm tall, 0.2-0.3 cm thick, thin, fragile, hollow; equal or tapering to a narrowed base; surface dry, powdery, drab vinaceous-brown, becoming smooth and polished where handled, sometimes with scattered fibrils; flesh bleeding a reddish juice, particularly at the base when cut; veil absent.

• Spores

  Spores 7.5-9 x 4.5-5.5 µm, elliptical, amyloid, smooth; spore print white.

• Habitat

  Gregarious to clustered on rotting wood; fruiting from mid to late-winter.

• Edibility

  Questionable, described as edible by some by authors but untried locally. In any case, too small to be of culinary value.

• Comments

  Mycena haematopus is characterized by a vinaceous-brown to pinkish-brown, conspicuously striate cap, often with a hairy margin when young and the tendency of the stipe to bleed a reddish juice when cut. It can be distinguished from other bleeding Mycenas by its preference for fruiting on rotting wood. There is also a form of this species with reddish, marginate gills.

• 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 haematopus (CP)
  • Fred Stevens: Mycena haematopus (CP)
  • Michael Wood: Mycena haematopus (CP)
  • Michael Wood: Mycena haematopus (CP)
  • Michael Wood: Mycena haematopus (CP)
  • Michael Wood: Mycena haematopus (CP)
  • Boleslaw Kuznik -- Hunting for Mushrooms: Mycena haematopus (CP)
  • Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month: Mycena haematopus (D & CP)
  • David Dennis: Mycena haematopus (CP)
  • Na Grzyby: Mycena haematopus (D & CP)
  • Pilzgalerie.de: Mycena haematopus (D & CP)
  • Pilze, Pilze, Pilze: Mycena haematopus (CP)
  • Mycena Page: Mycena haematopus (D & CP)
  • Mushroom Observer: Mycena haematopus (CP)
  • Arora (1986): p. 231 (D), plate 46 (CP
  • Breitenbach & Kränzlin (vol. 3): sp. 340 (D, I, & CP)
  • Jordan: p. 176 (D & CP)
  • Lincoff: p. 781 (D), plate 76 (CP)
  • Miller: sp. 145 (D & CP)
  • Phillips: p. 79 (D & CP)
  
  

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