Fleshy Fungi of New Brunswick >> Galerina vittiformis

Galerina vittiformis (Fr.) Singer

Two collections:

• 1. Gregarious (many) in Pleurozium carpet in disturbed area by the road, associated with Pinus banksiana and Picea rubens, Northwest Miramichi River, near Wayerton, New Brunswick (15-09-19/03).

  • Pileus conical, with a small umbo, dry, glabrous, striate at the margin, orange (HSV40:80:80-90), hygrophanous, 5-10 mm in diameter. Stipe equal, similar in colour to the pileus, often paler toard the apex, glabrous, dry, 28-32 X about 1 mm. Lamellae similar in colour to the pileus, adnexed, close, not marginate. Flesh concolorous with the surface tissues, lacking a distinctive odour and taste.

    Basidiospores red brown in spore print, inequalaterally ovoid, finely roughened, with an indistinct plage, 8.1-9.2 X 4.4-5.1 µm, Q = 1.66-1.96 (average[23]: 8.5 X 4.8 µm, Q = 1.75). Pileipellis a thin ixocutis over a loosely interwoven subcutis of clamped, encusted hyphae. Cheilocystidia abundant but not forming a sterile margin, ventricose to lageniform, with walls often appearing to be thickened apically in KOH, clamped at base. Pleurocystidia scattered but not difficult find, similar to the cheilocystidia. Caulocystidia lageniform, with a greatly enlarged basal part, clamped at base. Basidia 4-spored, clamped at base.

• 2. Gregarious (10) among gametophytes of Rhytidiadelphus sp. in a weedy lawn, associated at a distance with Abies balsamea, Little Lepreau, Charlotte Co., New Brunswick (05-10-20/05).

  • Pileus conical when young, expanding to more broadly so at maturity, without an umbo, striate from the margin to the disc, glabrous, light orange brown (HSV35:40:80), dry, 5-10 mm in diameter. Stipe equal, unswollen at the base, light orange (HSV40:20-30:100) minutely pruinose, dry, 27-36 X 0.8-1.0 mm. Lamellae orange (HSV40:40:100), subclose, adnexed, not marginate. Flesh concolorous with the surface tissues, lacking a distinctive odour and taste.

    Basidiospores orange brown in spore print, amygdaliform, with a distinctly conical apex, rather coarsely roughened as seen in Windex mounts, with a prominent plage, strongly dextrinoid in Melzers Solution, 8.2-10.8 x 5.2-5.8 µm, Q = 1.54-1.94 (average[39]: 9.7 x 5.4 µm, Q = 1.78). Cheilocystidia abundant and prominent, lageniform to suburticoid, with a basal clamp connection, 41-60 x 8.3-11.7 µm. Pleurocystidia scattered, similar in size and shape to the cheilocystidia. Caulocystidia abundant and conspicuous toward the apex of the stipe, similar in shape to the hymenial cystidia, often wavy toward the apex, 63-90 x 10-18 µm. Pileipellis a cutis, similar to the pileal trama, without pilocystidia. Basidia 2-spored, clavate, with a basal clamp connection.

Galerina vittiformis is commonly found throughout the cooler parts of the world. According to Alexander Smith and Rolf Singer (A Monograph On The Genus Galerina Earle, Hafner Publ. Co., NY. 1964) it is a complex taxon showing a great amount of variation. Collection 15-09-19/03 could be assigned to G. vittiformis var. albescens forma tetraspora due to the white colour of the pileus as it dries out and by its four-spored basidia. A second collection of G. vittiformis, preserved at the Canadian National Mycological Herbarium (DAOM), was collected in Kouchibouguac National Park and identified as G. vittiformis var. vittiformis forma vittiformis, a variety and form differing from var. albescens only in having a less white colour in the pileus when faded. Collection 05-10-20/05 differs from both of these in having two-spored basidia and could be assigned to G. vittiformis var. albescens forma bispora The significance of all this variation should be investigated using molecular methods.

Galerina vittiformis is typical of many species in the genus having small basidiomata. Confident identification requires information on microscopic features of the pileipellis, lamellae and stipe. Diagnostic for G. vittiformis are the presence of pleurocystidia, lack of pileocystidia, presence of abundant caulocystidia and very roughened basidiospores with a poorly- to well-defined plage.

Photographs: D. Malloch (15-09-19/03, 05-10-20/05).