Collection: Sierra Nevada, 2008/11/26 river seepage area,
Alnus rubra, Rhamnus purshiana, etc. |
It appears that Mycena vitilis is
a rather variable species, as well as the general concept seems to be
somewhat unsettled. The color of the pileus has been described in various
ways, not overlapping entirely, some lighter some darker, some with emphasis
on gray, others on brown. There seems to be more agreement on the
cheilocystidia shape, which is quite distinct with the long, often furcated
excrescences above the clavate to irregularly shaped body. Here is a diagram
of the basic features vs. the various authors.
Author |
Pileal color |
Cystidia Match |
Photo Match |
Brian Perry (Mycena of
California Masters Thesis) |
brownish gray to light brown, or dark brown on the disc. |
++ |
N/A |
Maas Geesteranus (Mycenas in the
Northern Hemisphere) |
sepia gray brown, mostly darker to very dark sepia brown or
black brown at the centre |
+ |
N/A |
A.H. Smith (North American
Species of Mycena) |
color "drab" when fresh, fading to pale gray or nearly white
in age, sometimes with a strong brownish tint when fresh and fading to clay
color, at least aro8und the disc. |
+/- |
N/A |
A. Aronsen
(Mycena of Noraway) |
grey-brown to pale grey, darker at the centre, paler to
almost white at the margin. |
++ |
++/- |
G. Robich (Mycena D'Europa) |
crema-grigio, crema grigio pallido, grigio-bianco,
grigio-crema chiaro da giovane poi grigio-ocraceo, grigio-bruni. |
+++ |
+/- |
|