Conocybe rugosa
no common name
Bolbitiaceae

Species account author: Ian Gibson.
Extracted from Matchmaker: Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest.

Introduction to the Macrofungi

Photograph

© Michael Beug     (Photo ID #15067)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Conocybe rugosa
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Species Information

Summary:
Conocybe rugosa is characterized by a rusty tawny, wrinkled cap, a prominent ring, and subacute to acute apices on the cheilocystidia. This species is separate from Conocybe filaris in Watling''s descriptions, but others consider the two names to represent one species. Full consensus appears not to have been reached yet. Many Conocybe spp. have names in Pholiotina (often the ringed species), but again full consensus appears not to have been reached yet. Species Fungorum and MycoBank, accessed in October 2018, differ in their approach (although the primary work of both is nomenclatural rather than taxonomic). The description here is derived from Watling(1) except where noted.
Cap:
0.75-2cm across, conic with obtuse umbo to conic - bell-shaped, becoming convex; "rusty tawny with or without flush of chestnut, becoming fulvous or sienna on drying"; faintly or strongly rugulose [finely wrinkled], margin striate when fresh
Flesh:
buff in cap, browner in stem
Gills:
adnexed, ventricose [wider in middle], not crowded; ochraceous to sienna then flushed with rust, edge white; edge denticulate [finely toothed]
Stem:
2.5-3.7cm x 0.075-0.15cm, equal or sometimes widening slightly toward base; whitish at top, flushed pale yellow to straw in lower part, increasingly brown downward, darkening upwards with age; pruinose at top, flocculose-fibrillose in lower part
Veil:
conspicuous, ample ring often detaching from stem, whitish to pale brown, felt-like and coarsely pleated-striate on upper surface
Odor:
not distinct
Taste:
not distinct
Microscopic spores:
spores 8-10 x 4.5-5.5(6) microns, elliptic in face view, slightly amygdaliform [almond-shaped] in side view, ochraceous in water, slightly darker in alkali, prominent germ pore; basidia 4-spored, 17.5-25 x 5-10 microns, clavate; pleurocystidia absent, cheilocystidia closely packed, 25-45 x 5-10 microns, obclavate to lageniform tapering upwards, apex subacute to acute 1.5-3 microns wide; cap cuticle "a hymeniform layer of pyriform cells with rusty tawny pedicels", 15-40 microns broad; stem cuticle of superficial, colorless hyphae up to 10 microns broad; clamp connections present
Notes:
A Paul Kroeger collection from BC was deposited at University of British Columbia.
EDIBILITY

Habitat and Range

SIMILAR SPECIES
Conocybe filaris is similar but C. rugosa has a larger, darker, rusty tawny to dark brick cap that is strongly wrinkled or rugulose, slightly larger spores, and marginal cystidia with a more acute to subacute apex and longer neck, (Watling).
Habitat
"on soil on pathsides in gardens and parks, usually on disturbed soil near human habitation", also from greenhouses, (Watling for Europe), usually fall, sometimes spring, (Buczacki)

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Pholiota rugosa Peck
Pholiotina rugosa (Peck) Singer Pap.