Alnicola (Naucoria), Meottomyces, and Phaeogalera

© Steve Trudell

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Danny’s DNA Discoveries – Kuehneromcyes and Phaeogalera of the PNW
by Danny Miller

(there's not much call for a picture key of species)

Introduction

Here are a few interesting miscellaneous genera in the large Hymenogastraceae family (or perhaps it should be called a super-family).

Kuehneromyces - some of the only hygrophanous species in this group. Usually clustered and dull brown coloured.

Phaeogalera - much like Galerina, except with a germ pore. They have smooth brown spores and a dry cap (Galerina might too, but often have warty spores and a viscid cap). Smith placed them all in Galerina in a section he called Porospora (those with germ pores).

Deconica is also in this family, but covered separately under the purple-brown spored pages.

abundant common uncommon rare - colour codes match my Pictorial Key and are my opinions and probably reflect my bias of living in W WA. Rare species may be locally common in certain places at certain times.

Summary of Interesting Results
Here are some of the newest, most interesting results of the study:

TBD

Kuehneromyces - click to expand
Some of the only hygrophanous species in this group. Usually clustered and dull brown coloured.

Species mentioned: Kuenheromyces mutabilis, lignicola, vernalis. Pholiota atripes, conica, nigripes, obscura.

Kuehneromyces mutabilis EU - this fall species has a ring and scales on the stem. BC sequences are 2 bp and possibly a couple of indels different from an EU sequence, but I am assuming ours is the same species.

Kuehneromyces lignicola NY (vernalis) (Pholiota atripes WY, Pholiota conica ID) - this spring species has less of a veil (seldom leaving a ring) and no scales. You will learn to recognize the changing caramel cap colour and distinctive dark stem. A BC sequence matches east coast sequences. The type sequence of P. atripes matches. There is no type sequence of P. conica yet, but studies have shown it to very likely also be the same. Some sequences have a half dozen ambiguous locations that unite sequences that don't look like they match.

Kuehneromyces obscurus ID (Pholiota nigripes ID) - This very similar spring species has broad gills (K. lignicola's are narrow) and this has much larger spores, but as this species has been all but forgotten, it is probably identified as K. lignicola when found. We should try to find modern collections and sequence them to find out how common this is, and to get a colour photograph (none are known to exist). The type sequences of P. obscura and P. nigripes matched each other so the species will now be known by the epithet that is older by 2 pages, K. obscurus. For P. nigripes, the subtle veil was not detected at all in 5 collections and it was described as a different species on that basis.

unsequenced Kuehneromyes mutabilis © Michael Beug, unsequenced K. lignicola © Steve Trudell

Phaeogalera - click to expand

Phaeogalera sp. 'PNW01' - Phaeogalera are much like Galerina, except with a germ pore. They have smooth brown spores and a dry cap and are found on the ground. This species has much smaller spores than other Phaeogalera (<10u long). Either this or Phaeogalera PNW02 is likely 'Galerina' subtruncata WA. We need a type sequence to prove that's what this WA collection is. The species was described from wet moss, but one collection was found in the forest.

Phaeogalera sp. 'PNW02' - differs in a few positions in ITS, it could be a separate species, also with small spores (6-7u x 3.5-4u). Because of the unique spore size, one or both of PNW01 and PNW02 are likely Galerina subtruncata WA. One collection was found in moss, one not.

'Galerina' subdecurrens WA - described from forest habitat, this is similar, but with spores 10-12 x 4-5u. This probably needs moving to Phaeogalera. We don't have DNA yet.

'Pholiota' subpapillata ID - similar. We have a type sequence. It was described from chip-dirt, and our collection was found in the forest, with one collection attached to conifer wood. This still needs to be moved to Phaeogalera. We have one recent WA collection.

Phaeogalera stagnina EU - found in wet peatland moss, and with spores 13-16 x 8-10u. We have an OR collection that matches one haplotype of EU collections. Haplotype #1 and a hybrid are found in the EU. Ours is haplotype #2. It should be investigated if it is a different species that can hybridize with P. stagnina or if it is P. stagnina. For now, I'm assuming it is.

Phaeogalera sp. 'PNW01' © Yi-Min Wang (2 images), 'Pholiota' subpapillata' © Sandra Ruffner, Phaeogalera stagnina © Connor Dooley

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