Fleshy Fungi of New Brunswick >> Mycena sanguinolenta

Mycena sanguinolenta (Alb. & Schwein.) P. Kumm.

Picture of Mycena sanguinolenta 04-07-19]05 Picture of Mycena sanguinolenta 04-07-19]07 Picture of Mycena sanguinolenta 06-07-19]02

Three collections:

  1. Gregarious on Sphagnum gametophytes in forest dominated by Picea rubens, Abies balsamea and Betula papyrifera. Kennedy Lakes Protected Natural Area, New Brunswick (04-07-19/05).

  2. Gregarious (5) on Sphagnum gametophytes in forest dominated by Picea rubens, Abies balsamea and Betula papyrifera. Kennedy Lakes Protected Natural Area, New Brunswick (04-07-19/07)

  3. Gregarious (4) in humus around rotting stump, in forest dominated by Picea rubens. Kennedy Lakes Protected Natural Area, New Brunswick (06-07-19/02)

Basidiospores white in spore print, ellipsoidal to narrowly obovoid, smooth, amyloid, 6.6-10.8 (12.4) x 3.7-7.0 μm, Q = 1.36-2.07 (average[89/3]: 8.4 x 4.9 μm, Q = 1.71). Cheilocystidia forming a continuous sterile margin, ventricose-rostrate, with a tapered apex, containing a brown granular pigment in dried material, 30-50 X 8.4-14.0 μm. Pleurocystidia scattered, most abundant toward the edge of the lamella, similar to the cheilocystidia. Basidia 4-spored, clamped at the base. Pileipellis a thin cutis of coralloid hyphae above a subpellis of broad hyphae. Clamp connections present.

The most useful diagnostic characters for M. sanguinolenta are i) red-marginate lamellae, ii) stipe, pileus and lamellae releasing a red fluid when cut, and iii) venticose-acuminate cheilocystidia. Unfortunately many dried collections lack information about the red liquid exudates and must be identified using the two other characteristics. In fact, even with field notes, as in the case of all the specimens treated here, the red liquid was not seen. However, Collection 06-07-19/02 has a scan of the basidiomata where one such drop is visible, as seen here at the apex of the stipe in the enlarged detail.

Collection 06-07-19/02 also differs from the other two in having much darker red basidiomata and in growing in humus around the base of an old conifer stump. This collection does not appear to be typical of the species as described by other collectors, although microscopically it differs from them only in having more intense pigmentation in the cheilocystidia, pileipells and stipitipellis.

Photographs: D. Malloch (04-07-19/05, 04-07-19/06, 06-07-19/02).