165

BRITISH MYCENA SPECIES - 3

ER EST E EMMETT
Alesdeir, Farnham Lane. Heslemere, Surrey GU27 IHD.

Artificial Key to M y cena Species using Macroscopic Characters,

con ti nued .

KEY D: BASIDIOMATA YIE LDING LATEX FROM DAMAGED TISSUE

1 Latex white or colourless/cloudy 2

1 Latex orange or some shade of red 4
2(1) Latex quite milky in appearance from fresh basidiomata,
(older specimens may yield no latex even when squeez-
ed); on all sorts of debris, herbaceous and lignicolus;
solitary, scattered or subfasciculate galopus
P 8-25mm from white to almost black, centre usuall y
darkest. S 50-85xl-2mm usually paler at the top but ma y
be dark throughout in dark forms. L: 13-19 adnate to
subdecurrent, edge convex. (B&K 274; 280; RP 71)
2(1) Latex slightly cloudy, almost clear ' 3
3(2) On mossy boles of trees or stumps; lamellae faces with pinkish
blotches; no smell of nitric acid; lamellae with bitter taste
..................... ...... ............... erubescens
P 5-15mm dark clay buff to date brown. S 15-50xO.5-1.5mm. L:
13-22 adnexed to subdecurrent. (B&K 270; MYC 92.4)
3(2) Usually on fragment of fallen wood in deciduous woodland,
but may be on stumps, roots or even leaves; often with a smell
of nitric acid, especially when bruised, occurs from spring
onwards abramsii
P 12-30mm various shades of brown, none distinctive. S
30-90xl-2.5mm. L: 19-27 adnate (B&K 256; MYC 92.2)
4(1) Latex orange; basidiomata on debris in deciduous
woodland, especially with Fagus on calcareous soils
............ ..... ....... .... ... ..... .... crocata
P 10-30mm clay buff to reddish brown with saffron or
reddish stains. S 50-120xl-2mm v. pa le at apex but in-
creasingly yellow to deep orange downward. L: 15-29
narrowly adnate, edge concolorus. (B&K 266; MYC 92.1)
4(1) Latex red to red brown 5
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5(4) Latex deep blood red ; sturdy basidiomata usually fasciculate
on dead wood, especially fallen trees and stumps of deciduous
trees; lamella-edge sometimes coloured, mostly towards the
edge of the pileus; dries black in herbarium ... haematopus
P 10-35mm flesh brown to purplish date, drying to clay pink,
margin crenate. S 30-70xl-4mm hollow fragile dark vinaceous
brown below, paler upwards. L: 15-26 broadly adnate to
subdecurrent. (B&K 276; RP 71; MYC 92.2)
5(4) Latex pale blood red, not orange; rather delicate basidiomata
only rarely sub-fasciculate, usually solitary or gregarious; on
litter in mainly woodland sites, deciduous or coniferous;
substrata very varied, including mossy boles, cones, twigs,
humus, moss etc. Lamella-edge red to purplish brown usually
along its entire length; does not dry black in herbarium
... .... . . . ... ..... .......... ........... sa ng u inolenta
P 7-20mm dark red-brown to almost violet at first, remaining
so at the centre, paling outwards. S 30-100xO.5-1.5mm dark clay
pink to dark red-brown. L: 13-21 ad nate to subdecurrent. (B&K
292; RP 71)

KEY E: BASIDIOMATA WITH LAMELLA-EDGE DARKER OR OF

A CONTRASTING COLOUR TO FACE BUT NOT YIELDING LATEX
FROM DAMAGED TISSUE - (The use of a lens is advised when
checking the lamella-edges and faces for coloured areas.]

1 Lamella-edge yellow, citrine, or orange 2

1 Lamella-edge pink, red, brown or olivaceous 5
2(1) Lamella-edge bright orange or orange-yellow, face also
coloured 3
2(1) Lamella-edge citrine to pale yellow, face whitish or grey,
perhaps with a yellow tinge 4
3(2) Pileus various shades of brown, olivaceous and maybe yellow
at the rim, 18 or more lamellae reaching the stipe; mostly with
conifers; spores amyloid : aura nti o ma rginata
P 8-18mm colour as above. S 35-80xl-2.5mm yellow-brown to
sepia, paler at the top, often tinged with orange hues. L: 18-26
ascending adnate may have decurrent tooth. convex; pale
ochraceous when young then a deeper yellow before fading,
edge distinctly orange. (B&K 262)
3(2) Pileus bright yellow, hardly fading; basidiomata small; often
in groups on fallen conifer leaves such as Picea; less than
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18 la mellae reaching the stipe; spores inamyloid .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (oregon ens is A. H. Smith)
P 2-10mm bright yellow. S 10-30xO.5-0.7mm colour as pileus
or pa ler. L: 9-16 broadl y ad nate to subdecurrent, pele yellow
w ith brighter ye llow edge. (MYC 92.4)
4(2) Smell of iodoform on drying; lamella-edge pale yellow:
basidio mata among grasses. sedges and mosses in sand
dunes. es pecially with Ammophila arenaria in mobile
dunes: often fascicu late; may have greenish hairs at base
of stipe : chlorantha
P 4-25mm often with an umbo; olivaceous, yellow ish
grey green to nes. S 15-50xO.8-2mm colour as pileus. L:
14-22 adnate to ernarginate, or subdecurrent, pale greyish
brown with pale yellow to citrine edge.
(The very similar species M . flavescens may also occur
in fixed dunes. with lamella-edges rarely showing yellow
except in young basidiomata, lacking the greenish tones.
it also has a characteristic smell of potatoes or earth
when c rushe d. See also Key G).
4(2) Smell if a ny. of nit r ic acid or hypoch lorite; lamella-edge
cit ri ne to dee p ye llow; basidiomata amo ng sha ded dam-
pish grass, herbs. mosses. someti mes on mossy tree boles
or old bark; scattered or subfasciculate wi th yellowish
or greenish co loured pileus; (see also M . oliveceo-
merginete, below) citrinomarginata
P 5-20mm very variably coloured. usually w ith yellowish
and or greenish tones. S 25-85xO.5-1.5mm co lours similar
to pileus. L: 15-20 ascending adnate or subdecurrent ,
w hite with slight yellow tinge. edge citrine to deep
yellow.
5(1) Lamella-faces dotted with dark spots due to co lou red
pleurocystidia 6
5(1) Lamellae not dotted with coloured pleurocystidia 8
6(5) Pileus and lamellae with beautiful pink colours; stipe also
with reddish tones; no smell of nitric acid; on conifer
litter rosella
P 5-20mm co lours as above. S 25-60xO.5-2mm covered
with red pruina. L: 14-23 ascending adnate, to sub-
decurrent. edge convex. reddish to purplish. (B&K 290 :
MYC 92.3)
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6(5) Pileus buff, pinkish buff to dark brown; lamellae not pink
.. . . . . . . . . ..... . .. .. .. ................... .... 7
7(6) Basidiomata on fallen conifer leaves; 20 or less lamellae
reaching the stipe; odour of nitric acid capillaripes
P 5-25mm pale buff, vinaceous buff, darker at centre, drying
smoky drab. S 25-70xl-2mm pale fawn to vinaceous buff below,
whitish for top third. L: 12-20 pale buff to clay pink, with dark
spots and reddish edge. (B&K 265; MYC 92.4)
7(6) Basidiomata associated with calcareous soils usually on
vegetable debris under deciduous trees; more than 25 lamellae
reaching the stipe; odour mealy raphanoid; (looks like a dark
M. pura), from early summer pelianthina
P 15-50mm grey brown to date brown, edge often darker; often
rather flat but may be broadly umbonate. S 25-60x3-8mm pale
brown with violaceous tint. L: 25-50 emarginate, appearing
almost free at first, grey-brown, lilaceous tones often present,
face with dark dots and edge dark purple to almost black. (B&K
284; MYC 92.1)
8(5) Lamella-edge pink or red 9
8(5) Lamella-edge red-brown, purple brown or brown
olivaceous 13
9(8) Delicate basidiomata growing on the decaying rachis of a varie-
ty of ferns. especially Dryopteris species; less than 12 lamellae
reaching the stipe pterigena
P 2-5mm pale pink, fading except at the edge. S 10-40 x
0.1-0.3mm pale pink or whitish with orange tones. L: 5-11
pinkish white, edge orange-red. (B&K 286)
9(8) On other substrata or more lamellae reaching the stipe .. 10
10(9) Pileus very pale with delicate shades of lilac. pink or
mauve 11
10(9) Pileus with darker colours, more brownish. greenish or
reddish 13
11(10) Growing on cones of Pinus usually in maritime locations; pileus
and lamellae usually darker in fresh basidiomata; stipe
vinaceous or lilaceous especially the top part, paler below; smell
if any pleasant, slightly fruity seynii
P 20-40 usually dark purplish brown paling outwards. but may
be pale brown with lilac or rose tints. S 4Q-90x1.5-7mm. L: 15-25
greyish white flushed lilac, edge convex, purple to red brown.
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11(10) ot on co nes of Pinus or if so then w ithout lila ceou s ton es to
stipe which is pal er above rather than below; sm ell if a ny of
nitric acid 12
12(11) Pileus delicate pinkish lilac to flesh colour; odour if
any of nitric acid ; lamella-edge delicately pinkish ;
among grass or vege table debris (a lbidolil acea
Kuhner & Maire)
P 1D-20mm. S 40-70x1.5-7mm white to pinkish covered
with long white hairs. L: 15-21 white with edge as above.
12(11) Basidiomata very small; on the boles of livin g de ciduous
tr ees; pil eus pale with pinkish brown granulosity
... .... .... .... ... .......... .. . (ven us tula Qu el.]
P 3-6mm . S 5-15xO.2-0.4mm grey brown. L: 7-10 horizon-
tal ad nate, edge faintly red-brown (use a lens).
(There are several species with a similar habitus but no
colou red lam ella-edge or granular cap, and usually
larger; a sma ll latex-free M. sanguinoJenta might key out
her e but it has a da rker lamella-edge and a smooth pileus
surface.)
13(10) In grassla nd, usually away from trees; colours very variabl e;
pileus grey-brown to dark brown, with or without yellowish
or reddish tints; lam ella-ed ge from faint ly red to yellow-brown
to dark red-brown or eve n only coloured near the outer part
of the lamella; sm ell , if a ny, of nitric acid, or when crush ed ,
raphanoid olivaceomargin ata
P 5-20mm. S 20-70xl-3mm straw to olive-yellow, olivaceous
brown, even orange or red di sh in some forms. L: 14-25 ad nate
to subdecurrent, greyish bu ff, may be flushed pink, ed ge red
to brown. (RP 74; MYC 92.4)
13(10) On fallen wood, stumps or cones of coniferous trees. (See
also 11 above since My cen a seynii may have darker lamella-
edges) 14
14(13) Pileus grey-green, olive-green to da rk sepia, margin paler
than di sk; lam ella-ed ge grey-green, olive to brownish
.. . .......... .. . . . . . . . .. (viridimarginata P. Karst)
P 1D-35mm. S 40-70x1.5-3mm co lours as pileu s but ting-
ed yellow or honey. L: 16-24 adnate, convex and grey
to greyish w hite . Od ou r of nitri c aci d. (MYC 92.4)
14(13) Basidiomata from bu ff to al mos t blac k, without
olivaceous ton es 15
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(A) Mycene tuberioides, as yet unrecorded from Britain, one of several small species to
search for on the decaying leaf sheaths of riparian plants; (B) M. oregonensis, on fallen
Picea leaves; (C) M. flavescens; (D) M. acicula; (E) M. purpureofusca; (F) M. erubescens;
(G) M. olivaceomarginata. Photos: A D E G - T Laessce: B C F - E E Emmett.
 171

(A) Mycene capillaripes; (BJ" M. epipterygie; (C) M. floridula, looks like M. adonis when
young but turns citrine and the pileus flares with age; (D-E) M.laevigata, a tough pale species
fasciculate on conifer wood, could be confused with a pale M. galericulata; (F) M. leptophylle;
(G) M. inclinata; (H) M. viridimarginata; (I) M. con color. Photos: A B D E G - E E Emmett;
C F H I - T Laessoe.
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15(14) Basidiomata from buff to dark red brown .. rubromarginata
P 10-25mm. S 15-55xl-2.5mm grey brown colours often with
pinkish tones. L: 16-20 ascending adnate, white to pale greyish
brown. edge red to dark purple-brown. Odour absent or in-
distinct. (B&K 290)
15(14) Basidiomata violet to almost black purpureofusca
P 10-40mm. S 35-100xl-4mm colours as pileus. paler above.
L: 20-30 greyish or whitish. edge dark violet to grey-purple.
(MYC 92.4)
Mycena renati (Key). sometimes has a coloured lamella-edge especially
towards the cap margin and latex-free specimens of M. sanguinoJenta and
M. haematopus might bring one to this key. so it is important to check the
substratum and examine more than one basidiome if possible.
Mycena pearsoniana (Key G). which has the habit of M. pure, sometimes
has coloured lamella-edges when young. it has decurrent lamellae. no
coloured pleurocystidia and inamyloid spores; this species could lead to
this key.

KEY F: BASIDIOMATA WITH BRIGHT COLOURS BUT NOT I N

PRECEDING KEYS
1 Stipe deeply rooting. watery white. turning dark brown from
the base upwards; pileus orange-yellow to vivid orange or
orange-brown; near decaying wood in deciduous or mixed
woodland. or on moss covered logs .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Ieptophyll a (Peck) Sacc.)
P 5-30mm colour as above. darker at centre. paler at margin.
S 20-80xl-2mm darkening occurs with time or due to handl-
ing. base extended into a long root. which is covered with white
fibrils. L: 20-26 ascending adnate to adnexed maybe with decur-
rent tooth. colours similar to pileus. (MYC 92.4)
1 ot rooting and stipe not discolouring 2
2(1) Basidiomata small. strikingly violet to blue grey or black-
ish violet; on litter or among moss or ericaceous plants
associated with conifers urania (Fr.: Fr.) Quel,
P 5-15mm at first blackish violet fading to greyish blue.
finally grey-brown. S 30-80xO.8-1mm colour as pileus. L:
17-22 adnate to uncinate violet blue fading to greyish
white.
2(1) Basidiomata other colours or larger 3
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3(2) Basidiomata large and collybioid often with pink or violaceous
co lours. Lamellae ad nate or emarginate; in lea f humus of
woodland pura
P 20-50mm (sometimes larger) from white through pin k to
various vio laceous shades. S 35-80x2-8mm with similar colour
va riations, not always the same colour as the pileus. L: 20-35
whitish to pale pink. (B&K 289; RP 72)

(Many colour forms of M. pura have been described and some

given specific ra nk.]

3(2) Basidiomata smaller and of typical mycenoid shape 4

4(3) Basidiomata scarlet, coral red, salmon pi nk but fading,

stipe usually pale coloured or white, more coloured
at apex, but may be all red in var.coccinea; among
grass and moss or bare peat on open sites, or conifer
litter adonis
P 5-22mm co lours as above. S 14-35xO.5-2mm wa tery
pink to orange to white pruinose to granular at top .
L: 12-24 ad nate to adnexed and almost free, pale salmon
with pa ler edge. (B&K 259; MYC 92.4)

4(2) Basidiomata with orange colours 5

5(4) Pileus deep apricot coloured with ascending lamellae; stipe

ora nge yellow to straw; on plant debris in scrub and woodland
from spring onwards acicula
P 2-10mm orange-red fading to orange, hemispherical maybe
with small umbo. S 15-50xO.5-1mm not rooting, sticky to moist
lips. L: 9-16 adnate to emarginate orange yellow, edge paler,
(compared to L: 20 + with JeplophylJa.) (B&K 256; RP 75;
MYC 92.4)

5(4) Similar colours but stipe colour hardly d ifferent to pileus;

lamellae deeply decurrent; pileus often umbilicate; grega rious,
associated with moss in many habitats, often in lawns
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rickenella fibula
Pink forms of Mycena metete may lead to this key , but it is ex-
cluded, lacking distinctive macroscopic characters. However
it may smell of iodoform when drying.