Fleshy Fungi of New Brunswick >> Tricholoma fumosoluteum

Tricholoma fumosoluteum (Peck) Sacc.

Gregarious (many) in a deep carpet of Pleurozium and Sphagnum mosses, associated with Abies balsamea and Picea rubra, Little Lepreau, New Brunswick (06-10-18/02).

Basidiospores white in spore print, broadly ellipsoidal, smooth, unchanging in colour in Melzer’s Solution, 5.3-7.3 x 4.6-5.4 μm, Q = 1.15-1.51 (average[33]: 6.3 x 5.0 μm, Q = 1.25). Basidia 4-spored, without a basal clamp connection. Hymenial cystidia lacking. Pileipellis not greatly differentiated from the tissue of the pileal trama, a simple cutis 1-3 cells deep, loosening in places to become a slightly interwoven subtrichoderm, without a differentiated subpellis. Clamp connections lacking on all hyphae of the basidiomata.

This common mushroom occurs late in the season and is recognized by it yellow cap overlain by a dull brown fibrous layer, especially toward the centre Microscopically it is characterized by a lack of clamp connections and by its very broadly ellipsoidal basidiospores. Another collection of this species (20-10-19/05) was growing nearby in the McPherson Point Protected Natural Area and was reported on iNaturalist as Observation 35541817.

Photograph: D. Malloch (06-10-18/02).