Clitocybe squamulosa

Description

Clitocybe squamulosa is a clitocyboid mushroom that appears under conifers, primarily in northern and montane North America. It is often associated with snowbanks, and can be distinguished by a brown to brownish orange, depressed to infundibuliform cap and stipe, yellowish-white decurrent gills, smooth spores, and habit in duff under conifers. Despite the scales are not always present and, if so, are usually small and concentrated only at the disc.

Mushroom Identification

1. Ecology

   Saprobic; growing alone, scattered or gregariously; under conifers on moss or needles; spring through fall; fairly widely distributed in North America.

2. Cap

   2-11 cm; at first flat or with a central depression, becoming deeply vase-shaped; smooth or with fine fibers or scales; dry or slightly tacky; brown, cinnamon brown, or dark tan; fading with age; sometimes with a wavy margin in maturity.

3. Gills

   Running down the stem; close or nearly distant; white or pale cream.

4. Stem

   3-7 cm long; up to 1 cm thick; equal; dry; fairly smooth; colored like the cap; base often covered with white mycelium.

5. Flesh

   Thin; whitish or watery.

6. Odor and Taste

   Not distinctive, or faintly foul or mealy.

7. Spore Print

   White.

8. Microscopic Features

   Spores 5-7.5 x 3-4.5 µ; elliptical to lacrymoid; smooth; inamyloid (in var. montana polymorphic and variable in size, ranging from elliptical to lacrymoid or subcylindric, 5.5-17 x 3-5.5 µ; in var. sicca elliptical, 7-9 µ long). Cystidia absent. Clamp connections present.

Look-Alikes

1. Paralepista flaccida

   Has a glabrous cap, and shorter verruculose spores, and is found in coastal California.

2. Infundibulicybe gibba

   Grows under hardwoods, but the colors of Infundibulicybe squamulosa are somewhat darker, especially on the stem.

Synonyms

1. Clitocybe sinopicoides (Peck) Harmaja, 2003

2. Clitocybe squamulosa sicca H. E. Bigelow, 1968

3. Clitocybe squamulosa montana H. E. Bigelow, 1968

4. Clitocybe sinopicoides Peck, 1912

5. Clitocybe infundibuliformis squamulosa (Pers.) Quél., 1886

6. Clitocybe squamulosa squamulosa (Pers.) P. Kumm., 1871

7. Clitocybe squamulosus squamulosus Pers., 1801

8. Clitocybe squamulosus Pers., 1801

9. Infundibulicybe squamulosa

Photo sources:

Photo 1 - Author: James Lindsey (CC BY-SA 2.5)

Photo 2 - Author: Sava Krstic (sava) (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Photo 3 - Author: Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Photo 4 - Author: Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble (CC BY-SA 2.0)