Psathyrella bipellis
J. Elisha Mitchell Scient. Soc. 62: 187. 1946.
Common Name: none
Synonym: Psathyrella barlae (Bres.) A.H. Sm.
Cap 20-40 (50) mm, obtuse conic, broadly conic to nearly plane in age; margin decurved, frequently with a band of whitish fibrils when young, obscurely translucent-striate; surface moist, hygrophanous, finely wrinkled, vinaceous-brown when fresh, fading to pinkish buff; context thin, approximately 1 mm; odor not distinctive, unpleasant fruity in some forms; taste mild.
Gills adnate to weakly notched, close, at first pale grey, maturing vinaceous grey; edges lighter than faces, finely fimbriate with hand lens, up to 5 mm in width, lamellulae in 2 series.
Stipe 30-50 mm x 2-4 (5) mm in width, equal, cylindrical, hollow in age; surface pinkish tan in youth, soon white, pruinose at apex, elsewhere finely fibrillose-striate, sometimes appearing silky fibrillose; partial veil absent; white tomentum at base.
Spores 12-16.5 (18) x 7-8.5 microns, ellipsoid to oblong in face-view and profile, smooth, germ pore present, slightly eccentric, hilar appendage inconspicuous; spores black in deposit.
Gregarious to clustered in wood chips and in shaded grassy areas, widely distributed in the U.S. and Europe; fruiting in the from late fall to early spring; occasional.
Unknown.
Unusual for a Psathyrella, P. bipellis has a pleasing wine-colored, finely wrinkled cap. Unfortunately, the color soon fades, and if fruiting in wood chips, resembles a number of drab Psathyrellas as well as the ubiquitous Tubaria furfuracea. Psathyrella bipellis should be compared with Tubaria vinicolor. Found on disturbed ground, this dark reddish brown to vinaceous Tubaria has been confused with Psathyrella bipellis, but the gills are pinkish, not vinaceous grey and the spores are orange-brown in deposit. Some color forms of Mycena pura are also similar, but the gills are much paler in age, the spores are white in deposit, and it has a radish odor. Psathyrella subpurpurea, described by Smith from Oregon and California, is very similar to P. bipellis, but possesses an annulus.
Kibby, G. (2013). Fungal Portraits No. 56 Psathyrella bipellis. Field Mycology 14(4): 112-113.
Kits van Wavern, E. (1985). The Dutch, French, and British Species of Psathyrella. Rijksherbarium: Leiden, Netherlands. 300 p.
Knudsen, H. & Vesterholt, J. ed. (2008). Funga Nordica: Agaricoid, boletoid and cyphelloid genera. Nordsvamp: Copenhagen, Denmark. 965 p.
Knudsen, H. & Vesterholt, J. ed. (2012). Funga Nordica: Agaricoid, boletoid, clavarioid, cyphelloid and gastroid genera. Vol. 2. Nordsvamp: Copenhagen, Denmark. 572 p.
Siegel, N. & Schwarz, C. (2016). Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast. Ten Speed Press: Berkeley, CA. 601 p.
Smith, A.H. (1972). The North American Species of Psathyrella (Mem. NY. Bot. Gard.: 24). New York Botanical Garden: Bronx, NY. 521 p. (PDF)
