Mycena cinerella
Encyclopedia
Mycena cinerella, commonly known as the mealy bonnet, is an inedible species of mushroom
in the Mycenaceae
family. It is found in Europe and the United States, where it grows in groups on fallen leaves and needles under pine
and Douglas fir. The small grayish mushrooms have caps
that are up to 1.5 cm (0.590551181102362 in) wide atop stems
that are 5 cm (2 in) long and 2.5 mm (0.0984251968503937 in) thick. Its gills are grayish-white and adnate
, with a "tooth" that runs slightly down the stem. The fungus has both two- and four-spored basidia
. As its common name
suggests, it smells mealy.
that same year. In his 1936 Flora Agaricina Danica (Agaric flora of Denmark) Jakob Emanuel Lange
referred it to the genus Omphalia
; Omphalia cinerea (P. Karst.) J.E. Lange is now a synonym. Mycena cineroides was named and described as a new species distinct from M. cinerella by Hintikka in 1963, who thought it to be unique due to its narrowly acute cap that lacked brownish or yellowish tones, decurrent gills, and two-spore
d basidia
. However, intermediate forms of it have been found, and some authorities, like Dutch Mycena specialist Maas Geesteranus
, believe it should be treated as a synonym of M. cinerella.
The mushroom is commonly
known as the "mealy bonnet". The specific epithet cinerella means "somewhat ashy color".
of M. cinerella is white and small, with a diameter typically ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 cm (0.196850393700787 to 0.590551181102362 in). Initially hemispherical, obtusely conic, and then convex, it expands during maturity, developing visible grooves on the surface that correspond to the gills underneath the cap. The cap has a broad, flattened umbo
. The cap surface is smooth and moist, with a slimy margin that is initially pressed against the stem; with age the margin becomes notched and sometimes scalloped, turning translucent. The cap color is dark gray to pale gray, somewhat hygrophanous
, fading to ashy white or brown when dry. The flesh
is thin, gray, cartilaginous and tough, with a strongly farinaceous (mealy, similar to raw potatoes) odor and taste if crushed or chewed. The whitish to grayish gills are moderately broad (2–3 mm) with a spacing that is close to subdistant, and 18–26 reach the stem, interspersed with two or three tiers of lamellae (short gills that do not extend fully from the cap margin to the stem). The stem attachment is adnate or arcuate, but later develops a pronounced decurrent tooth. The decurrent tooth occasionally separates from the stem and forms a collar around it. The stem
is 2 – long, 1 – thick, equal in width throughout, hollow, cartilaginous, and brittle. The stem surface is smooth or polished, with the apex initially faintly pruinose (as if covered with a fine whitish powder). The base of the stem is sparsely covered with sharp, straight, stiff hairs, and is the same color as the cap or paler. The mushroom is inedible.
s are 7–9 by 4–5 μm
, ellipsoid, smooth, amyloid
(reaction very weak in some collections). The basidia (spore-bearing cells) are four-spored, or occasionally a combination of two- and four-spored. The four-spored forms have clamp connection
s that are absent in the two-spored forms. The pleurocystidia (cystidia
found on the face of the gills) are not differentiated. The cheilocystidia (cystidia found on the edges of the gills) are embedded in the hymenium
and inconspicuous, measuring 22–36 by 5–11 μm. They are roughly filiform (like thin filaments), with numerous contorted branches or protuberances, and club-shaped with finger-like prolongations. The flesh of the gills is homogenous, and turns vinaceous-brown when stained in iodine. The flesh of the cap has a well-differentiated pellicle, with a differentiated but not very well-developed hypoderm, and hypha
e that are 10–20 μm wide.
and similar detritus
, converting it to humus and mineralizing
organic matter in the soil. The fruit bodies grow in groups on needles under pine
and Douglas fir, typically in the late summer and autumn. In the United States, it has been collected from Michigan
, Washington, Oregon
, and California
. In Europe, it has also been collected from the Great Britain, Norway, Poland, and Sweden.
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
in the Mycenaceae
Mycenaceae
The Mycenaceae are a family of fungi in the order Agaricales. According to the Dictionary of the Fungi , the family contains 10 genera and 705 species. This is one of several families that were separated from the Tricholomataceae as a result of phylogenetic analyses...
family. It is found in Europe and the United States, where it grows in groups on fallen leaves and needles under pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
and Douglas fir. The small grayish mushrooms have caps
Pileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
that are up to 1.5 cm (0.590551181102362 in) wide atop stems
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
that are 5 cm (2 in) long and 2.5 mm (0.0984251968503937 in) thick. Its gills are grayish-white and adnate
Adnation
Adnation in plants is the "union of unlike parts; organically united or fused with another dissimilar part, e.g. an ovary to a calyx tube, or stamens to petals". This is in contrast to connation, the fusion of similar organs....
, with a "tooth" that runs slightly down the stem. The fungus has both two- and four-spored basidia
Basidium
thumb|right|500px|Schematic showing a basidiomycete mushroom, gill structure, and spore-bearing basidia on the gill margins.A basidium is a microscopic, spore-producing structure found on the hymenophore of fruiting bodies of basidiomycete fungi. The presence of basidia is one of the main...
. As its common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
suggests, it smells mealy.
Taxonomy
First called Agaricus cinerellus by Finnish mycologist Petter Karsten in 1879, he transferred it to the genus MycenaMycena
Mycena is a large genus of small saprotrophic mushrooms that are rarely more than a few centimeters in width. They are characterized by a white spore print, a small conical or bell-shaped cap, and a thin fragile stem. Most are gray or brown, but a few species have brighter colors. Most have a...
that same year. In his 1936 Flora Agaricina Danica (Agaric flora of Denmark) Jakob Emanuel Lange
Jakob Emanuel Lange
Jakob Emanuel Lange , was a Danish mycologist who studied the systematics of gilled mushrooms.His most well-known work is Flora Agaricina Danica, a five-volume plate work on the Agaricales of Denmark....
referred it to the genus Omphalia
Omphalia
Omphalia is a genus of fungi in the Tricholomataceae family....
; Omphalia cinerea (P. Karst.) J.E. Lange is now a synonym. Mycena cineroides was named and described as a new species distinct from M. cinerella by Hintikka in 1963, who thought it to be unique due to its narrowly acute cap that lacked brownish or yellowish tones, decurrent gills, and two-spore
Spore
In biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many bacteria, plants, algae, fungi and some protozoa. According to scientist Dr...
d basidia
Basidium
thumb|right|500px|Schematic showing a basidiomycete mushroom, gill structure, and spore-bearing basidia on the gill margins.A basidium is a microscopic, spore-producing structure found on the hymenophore of fruiting bodies of basidiomycete fungi. The presence of basidia is one of the main...
. However, intermediate forms of it have been found, and some authorities, like Dutch Mycena specialist Maas Geesteranus
Rudolph Arnold Maas Geesteranus
Rudolph Arnold Maas Geesteranus, born 20 January 1911 in The Hague, died May 18 2003 in Oegstgeest, was a Dutch mycologist.-References:...
, believe it should be treated as a synonym of M. cinerella.
The mushroom is commonly
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
known as the "mealy bonnet". The specific epithet cinerella means "somewhat ashy color".
Description
The capPileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
of M. cinerella is white and small, with a diameter typically ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 cm (0.196850393700787 to 0.590551181102362 in). Initially hemispherical, obtusely conic, and then convex, it expands during maturity, developing visible grooves on the surface that correspond to the gills underneath the cap. The cap has a broad, flattened umbo
Umbo (mycology)
thumb|right|[[Cantharellula umbonata]] has an umbo.thumb|right|The cap of [[Psilocybe makarorae]] is acutely papillate.An umbo is a raised area in the center of a mushroom cap. Caps that possess this feature are called umbonate. Umbos that are sharply pointed are called acute, while those that are...
. The cap surface is smooth and moist, with a slimy margin that is initially pressed against the stem; with age the margin becomes notched and sometimes scalloped, turning translucent. The cap color is dark gray to pale gray, somewhat hygrophanous
Hygrophanous
The adjective hygrophanous refers to the color change of mushroom tissue as it loses or absorbs water, which causes the pileipellis to become more transparent when wet and opaque when dry....
, fading to ashy white or brown when dry. The flesh
Trama (mycology)
In mycology trama is a term for the inner, fleshy portion of a mushroom's basidiocarp, or fruit body. It is distinct from the outer layer of tissue, known as the pileipellis or cuticle, and from the spore-bearing tissue layer known as the hymenium....
is thin, gray, cartilaginous and tough, with a strongly farinaceous (mealy, similar to raw potatoes) odor and taste if crushed or chewed. The whitish to grayish gills are moderately broad (2–3 mm) with a spacing that is close to subdistant, and 18–26 reach the stem, interspersed with two or three tiers of lamellae (short gills that do not extend fully from the cap margin to the stem). The stem attachment is adnate or arcuate, but later develops a pronounced decurrent tooth. The decurrent tooth occasionally separates from the stem and forms a collar around it. The stem
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
is 2 – long, 1 – thick, equal in width throughout, hollow, cartilaginous, and brittle. The stem surface is smooth or polished, with the apex initially faintly pruinose (as if covered with a fine whitish powder). The base of the stem is sparsely covered with sharp, straight, stiff hairs, and is the same color as the cap or paler. The mushroom is inedible.
Microscopic characteristics
The sporeSpore
In biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many bacteria, plants, algae, fungi and some protozoa. According to scientist Dr...
s are 7–9 by 4–5 μm
Micrometre
A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...
, ellipsoid, smooth, amyloid
Amyloid (mycology)
In mycology the term amyloid refers to a crude chemical test using iodine in either Melzer's reagent or Lugol's solution, to produce a black to blue-black positive reaction. It is called amyloid because starch gives a similar reaction, and that reaction for starch is also called an amyloid reaction...
(reaction very weak in some collections). The basidia (spore-bearing cells) are four-spored, or occasionally a combination of two- and four-spored. The four-spored forms have clamp connection
Clamp connection
A clamp connection is a structure formed by growing hyphal cells of certain fungi. It is created to ensure each septum, or segment of hypha separated by crossed walls, receives a set of differing nuclei, which are obtained through mating of hyphae of differing sexual types...
s that are absent in the two-spored forms. The pleurocystidia (cystidia
Cystidium
A cystidium is a relatively large cell found on the hymenium of a basidiomycete , often between clusters of basidia. Since cystidia have highly varied and distinct shapes that are often unique to a particular species or genus, they are a useful micromorphological characteristic in the...
found on the face of the gills) are not differentiated. The cheilocystidia (cystidia found on the edges of the gills) are embedded in the hymenium
Hymenium
The hymenium is the tissue layer on the hymenophore of a fungal fruiting body where the cells develop into basidia or asci, which produce spores. In some species all of the cells of the hymenium develop into basidia or asci, while in others some cells develop into sterile cells called cystidia or...
and inconspicuous, measuring 22–36 by 5–11 μm. They are roughly filiform (like thin filaments), with numerous contorted branches or protuberances, and club-shaped with finger-like prolongations. The flesh of the gills is homogenous, and turns vinaceous-brown when stained in iodine. The flesh of the cap has a well-differentiated pellicle, with a differentiated but not very well-developed hypoderm, and hypha
Hypha
A hypha is a long, branching filamentous structure of a fungus, and also of unrelated Actinobacteria. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium; yeasts are unicellular fungi that do not grow as hyphae.-Structure:A hypha consists of one or...
e that are 10–20 μm wide.
Habitat and distribution
Mycena cinerella is a saprobic fungus, and derives nutrients by decomposing leaf litterForest floor
The forest floor, also called detritus, duff and the O horizon, is one of the most distinctive features of a forest ecosystem. It mainly consists of shed vegetative parts, such as leaves, branches, bark, and stems, existing in various stages of decomposition above the soil surface...
and similar detritus
Detritus
Detritus is a biological term used to describe dead or waste organic material.Detritus may also refer to:* Detritus , a geological term used to describe the particles of rock produced by weathering...
, converting it to humus and mineralizing
Mineralization
Mineralization may refer to:* Mineralization , the process through which an organic substance becomes impregnated by inorganic substances...
organic matter in the soil. The fruit bodies grow in groups on needles under pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
and Douglas fir, typically in the late summer and autumn. In the United States, it has been collected from Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, Washington, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. In Europe, it has also been collected from the Great Britain, Norway, Poland, and Sweden.