Fleshy Fungi of New Brunswick >>
Mycena clavicularis
Mycena clavicularis (Fr.) Gillet
Three collections:
1. Gregarious in soil under Abies balsamea and Picea rubens, Caledonia Gorge Protected Natural Area, New Brunswick (13-08-12/08b).
Basidiospores 7.2-10.1 X 4.9-6.3 μm . Cheilocystidia clavate, covered above the middle with fine finger-like warts, not embedded in a gelatinous matrix. Pleurocystidia scattered, similar to the cheilocystidia. Pileipellis a cutis of hyphae with finger-like warts resembling those of the cheilocystidia, gelatinous layer present but often difficult to see. Basidia 4-spored, clamped at the base.
2. Scattered in needle litter under Abies balsamea and Thuja occidentalis, Grand Lake Meadows Protected Natural Area, New Brunswick (13-06-13/05).
- Basidiospores 6.2-7.7 X 3.8-5.2 μm D/d = 1.32-1.84 . Cheilocystidia clavate, covered above the middle with fine finger-like warts, not embedded in a gelatinous matrix. Pleurocystidia not seen. Pileipellis a cutis of hyphae with finger-like warts resembling those of the cheilocystidia, gelatinous layer present but often difficult to see. Basidia 4-spored, clamped at the base.
3. Gregarious (2) on a highly rotted and moss-covered conifer log in forest dominated by Abies balsamea and Picea mariana. Kennedy Lakes Protected Natural Area, New Brunswick (30-06-19/06).
- Basidiospores white in spore print, with spore print hydrophilic, ellipsoidal, smooth, amyloid, 6.9-8.6 x 3.6-4.7 μm, Q = 1.64-2.05 (average[31]: 7.6 x 4.2 μm, Q = 1.82). Cheilocystidia forming a continuous sterile margin, clavate, with numerous short finger-like projections, 20-39 x 6.2-12.5 μm. Pleurocystidia scattered, not difficult to find, similar to the cheilocystidia. Pileipellis a thin cutis of hyaline hyphae bearing short coralloid proliferations, produced above a thick subcutis of broad hyphae. Basidia 4-spored, clamped at the base.
Mycena clavicularis is recognized by its dull greyish to whitish dry cap and pale brown to whitish viscid stipe. It is one of two common species of Mycena in our region with a viscid stipe, the other being M. epipterygia, which has a yellow stipe and a thick gelatinous layer on the pileus that can be pulled off intact.
Photograph: D. Malloch (13-08-12/08b, 13-06-13/05, 30-06-19/06).