Conocybe apala
Persoonia 18(2): 225. 2003.
Common Name: none
Synonym: Conocybe albipes (G. H. Otth) Hauskn.; Conocybe lactea (J.E. Lange) Métrod
Cap 0.5-2.5 cm broad, obtuse-conic, occasionally expanding to convex; margin decurved, sometimes slightly upturned in age; surface dry, smooth, striate approximately halfway from the margin to to the disc, at maturity often faintly wrinkled; color: white to cream, the disc pale yellow-brown, senescing to pale-buff overall; flesh very thin, fragile, buff to dull pale-brown; odor and taste mild.
Gills adnexed to seceding, very close, narrow, pallid, becoming dull pale orange-brown.
Stipe 1.5-5 cm long, 1-2 mm thick, more or less equal, thin, fragile, hollow, straight, easily splitting; surface at first pruinose or faintly striate, glabrous in age, cream-white; veil absent.
Spores 10-15 x 6-9 µm, elliptical, smooth, with an apical pore; spore print pale rusty-brown.
Scattered to gregarious in grassy areas; ephemeral, i.e. persisting only one to two days; fruiting spring, summer and fall.
Unknown, but too small and unsubstantial to be of culinary value.
Conocybe apala is a small, very fragile, white mushroom, part of a contingent of grass-inhabiting species that in our area fruit primarily during the summer months. It is characterized by a obtusely-conic cap, striate margin which sometimes becomes slightly wrinkled in age, and pale rusty-brown to cinnamon-brown gills. It often fruits along with Panaeolus foenisecii, Agrocybe pediades, and Marasmius oreades. Marasmius oreades can be distinguished by its larger size, convex cap and well spaced cream-colored gills, while Panaeolus foenisecii has a dark-brown convex cap, dark mottled gills and spores. Finally Agrocybe pediades has a sticky (when moist) pale yellow-brown convex, not conic cap, darker brown gills, and often an annulus.
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