Thought to be saprobic, but its relationships with certain mosses and other plants has yet to be determined; scattered to gregarious in moss, on soil, in broadleaf forests, lawns, and occasionally under conifers; summer and fall; common
EDIBILITY: Not poisonous, but its small size and slime coating will probably discourage its use
COMMENTS: The usually fishy or unpleasant odor of its flesh when crushed, combined with the slippery cap and stem, will distinguish this mushroom. The closest look-alike is Gliophorus perplexus (p. 81), which lacks a distinctive odor.
Hygrocybe laeta
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Gliophorus irrigatus (Pers.) A. M. Ainsw. and P. M. Kirk
SYNONYMS: Hygrocybe irrigata M. M. Moser, Hygrocybe unguinosa (Fr.) P. Karst
COMMON NAME: None
FAMILY: Hygrophoraceae
CAP: Up to 1-1/2 in. wide; dark brownish black becoming dark grayish brown in age; convex becoming flat, with an umbo at times; surface glutinous, bald, translucent striate
FLESH: Grayish to white, watery; thin; odor not distinctive, or slightly unpleasant; taste not distinctive
GILLS: Whitish to gray; attached to the stem; thick; waxy; subdistant to distant; edges even; no partial veil
STEM: Up to 2-1/2 in. long; gray to grayish brown; equal; becoming hollow; surface slimy, bald
SPORE PRINT: White
ECOLOGY: Thought to be saprobic, but its relationships with certain mosses and other plants has yet to be determined; scattered to gregarious in broadleaf forests, lawns, and occasionally under conifers; summer and fall; occasional
EDIBILITY: Nonpoisonous, but its small size and slime coating will probably discourage its use
COMMENTS: This dark-colored, slippery mushroom is difficult to collect because it readily slips through the fingers. It is easily overlooked owing to its dark coloration.
Gliophorus irrigatus
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Humidicutis marginata var. concolor (A. H. Sm.) Malloch
SYNONYMS: Humidicutis marginata (Peck) Singer, Hygrocybe marginata var. concolor (A. H. Sm.) Bessette, A. R. Bessette, Roody, and W. E. Sturgeon
COMMON NAME: None
FAMILY: Hygrophoraceae
CAP: Up to 1-1/2 in. wide; orange yellow to bright golden yellow, at times streaked pale yellow; conic becoming bell-shaped to nearly flat, at times with a broad umbo; surface bald, moist, not striate
FLESH: Yellow; thin; waxy; odor and taste not distinctive
GILLS: Orange yellow to bright golden yellow; attached to the stem or notched; subdistant; broad; waxy; edges even; no partial veil
STEM: Up to 2-1/2 in. long; yellow to pale yellow, sometimes white at the base; equal; hollow; surface bald, moist
SPORE PRINT: White
ECOLOGY: Saprobic; scattered to gregarious in wet woods under conifers and broadleaf trees; summer and fall; common
EDIBILITY: Edible but without much flavor or substance
COMMENTS: Two other varieties are recognized. Humidicutis marginata var. olivacea has a brownish-olive cap center and is often sharply umbonate. Humidicutis marginata var. marginata has brilliant-orange gills that remain orange after the cap has faded.
Humidicutis marginata var. concolor
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Chromosera cyanophylla (Fr.) Redhead, Ammirati, and Norvell
SYNONYM: Mycena lilacifolia (Peck) A. H. Sm.
COMMON NAME: None
FAMILY: Hygrophoraceae
CAP: Up to 1 in. wide; color variable, violaceous, or bright yellow when young, fading to pale yellow or whitish; convex to nearly flat, with a central umbilicus; surface viscid, translucent striate
FLESH: Pale, unchanging when exposed; thin; odor mild; taste unknown
GILLS: Lavender fading to pinkish lavender, at times yellow; subdistant; broad; edges even; subdecurrent; no partial veil
STEM: Up to 1 in. long; lavender at first but soon yellowish, fading to pale yellow; equal or with a small basal bulb; hollow; fragile; surface viscid, shiny; base with lavender mycelium
SPORE PRINT: White
ECOLOGY: Saprobic on decorticated conifer logs, often in moss; scattered to gregarious; fruits in cool weather, spring, and fall; occasional
EDIBILITY: Unknown
COMMENTS: When in prime condition, this is an eye-catching little mushroom. The gills keep their lavender color, contrasting nicely with the yellowish caps. It is found throughout Appalachia but is not common and is often overlooked owing to its small size.
Chromosera cyanophylla
Chromosera cyanophylla
MEDIUM TO LARGE WHITE-SPORED TERRESTRIAL MUSHROOMS
Tricholoma and Melanoleuca
TRICHOLOMA IS A white-spored genus of generally medium to large mushrooms. Many species have a mealy odor. The gill attachment to the stem is typically notched. Many Tricholoma species fruit late in the season, often under conifers and after the first frosts. Identification of some of the gray and brown species is very difficult. The species included here can be identified relatively easily. One
