Cystoderma granulosum

Description

The coloration of this species is very variable, but in most cases, the cap and stem are tawny to brick red or paler when sunlight fades. Like other Cystoderma species, Cystoderma granulosa has a dense lid with granules that may fall off or wear off as the fungus matures. There are no true rings on the stem, the spores are amyloid. The absence of rings and amyloid spores helps distinguish cysticosis granulosa from other species in the genus, the absence of cysts, and the presence of characteristic cells in the skin of the cap that are linked together and have a tan to red color Brown wall when viewed on KOH stand.

Mushroom Identification

1. Ecology

   Saprobic; growing scattered or gregariously under hardwoods or conifers, often on waste ground, moss, or barren places; summer and fall; widely distributed in North America.

2. Cap

   1-5 cm; dry; at first convex with an inrolled margin, densely covered with conical granules and warts; in maturity broadly convex or flat, the granules sometimes less prominent; color ranging from tawny brown to brick red or cinnamon brown, occasionally orangish brown; often fading substantially when exposed to sunlight.

3. Gills

   Attached to the stem; close; whitish or yellowish.

4. Stem

   2-6 cm long; up to 1 cm thick; equal; solid or hollow; dry; covered with granules and scales below, smoother near the apex; colored like the cap.

5. Flesh

   Whitish; not bruising.

6. Odor and Taste

   Taste mild; odor is not distinctive.

7. Spore Print

   White.

8. Microscopic Features

   Spores 3.5-5 x 2-3 µ; elliptical; smooth; inamyloid. Cheilocystidia absent. Cuticular cells with rusty brown walls in KOH; chained together; variously sized and shaped.

Synonyms

1. Agaricus granulosus Batsch, 1783

2. Lepiota granulosa (Batsch) Gray, 1821

3. Cystodermella granulosa (Batsch) Harmaja, 2002

Photo sources:

Photo 1 - Author: Wilhelm Zimmerling PAR (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Photo 2 - Author: Wilhelm Zimmerling PAR (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Photo 3 - Author: Wilhelm Zimmerling PAR (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Photo 4 - Author: Wilhelm Zimmerling PAR (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Photo 5 - Author: Jason Hollinger (jason) (CC BY-SA 3.0)