Chlorophyllum and Macrolepiota - click to expand

• shaggy parasols, our largest 'Lepiotas', 20cm across or more, with a brown scaly cap and flesh that stains quickly orange when scratched (except in Macrolepiota)
• white or green spore print (for one locally rare Chlorophyllum)
• a distinctive look that separates them from the erect scaled Echinoderma and the not quite as large Leucoagaricus, and far more common than both lookalikes
• Chlorophyllum includes one rare, local gastroid mushroom.

They have been well studied, and for once it is well known exactly which Chlorophyllum species occur in the PNW. Macrolepiota is a genus of similarly large mushrooms that does not occur in the PNW natively, although there are reports that cultivated Macrolepiota procera has escaped into the wild near Olympia, WA and can be found here.

 

Chlorophyllum molybdites

Dangerously poisonous, it is recognized by a green spore print in age, growth in grasses and gardens, and white areas between the scales. Young specimens may have white gills and not be identifiable. It is rare here, being a hot weather species, but it has made it all the way up north to Washington so far.

Chlorophyllum molybdites © Christian Schwarz

 

Chlorophyllum rhacodes (rachodes)

Most easily confused with the poisonous C. molybdites, but this has a white spore print (as do the rest of the species in this section). It is uncommon. When young, the caps of some of these species start out solid dark brown before they start breaking up into scales (see photo).

Chlorophyllum rhacodes © Steve Trudell

 

Chlorophyllum brunneum

This species is known for a very abrupt bulb at the bottom of the stem, otherwise it is similar to the other two. It is very common.

Chlorophyllum brunneum © Steve Trudell

 

Chlorophyllum olivieri

This species does not have the prominent white areas between the scales, but is more of a uniform brown. It is also very common.

Chlorophyllum oolivieri © Steve Trudell

 

Chlorophyllum agaricoides

Formerly Endoptychum agaricoides before it was realized that gastroid and truffle mushrooms don't usually deserve their own genus but are inside the genera they evolved from. It is round like a puffball. The spore mass turns yellowish brown (the DNA and the coloured spore print suggest a close relationship to C. molybdites), and it has a rudimentary stem inside, but the gills are not recognizable as such. It has evolved a strong odor of cabbage (many trufflized species need to evolve some sort of strong odor to enable them to be found by animals and dug up or opened). The ITS DNA of this species all over the world only differs by 1 or 2 bp. We have sequences of this eastern hemisphere mushroom from as close as New Mexico, so I expect our species is the same. It is rare.

Chlorophyllum agaricoides © Steve Trudell

 

 

Macrolepiota procera

This species somewhat resembles Chlorophyllum rhacodes with scant brown scales on the cap (that is otherwise white), but it is not quite as large and does not stain orange when scratched. It is rare, with only a few reports of escaped cultivars around Olympia, WA so far.

Macrolepiota procera © Buck McAdoo

Echinoderma - click to expand

• medium to large species with erect scales on the cap and staining colours, uncommon to rare.

Echinoderma asperum (Lepiota aspera/Lepiota acutesquamosa) is a European species reported from the PNW, but that is not the species we have. Neither does it appear that our species is the same as the east coast Echinoderma eriophorum. We have at least 3 undescribed species in need of names.

 

Echinoderma sp. 1

This species, at least the one time it was photographed, had a uniformly cold brown coloured cap, and a stem that was more fibrillose-streaky than it was scaly, although chunks of something may have washed off the stem. It has been found once in WA, once on Texada Island (north of Nanaimo BC) and in boreal BC.

Echinoderma sp. 1 © Danny Miller

 

Echinoderma sp. 3

This species has a cold brown cap like sp.1 and a shaggy/scaly stem. Compared to sp. 1 it seems to show more white between the cap scales as it expands, and the stem itself retains more scales. It has been found more than a half dozen times in Vancouver BC, at least once in WA and also in Quebec and Arizona.

Echinoderma sp. 3 © Danny Miller

 

Echinoderma sp. iNat63939282

This collection was extremely scaly with a coloured juice on the young specimens. It superficially resembles Echinoderma sp. 3 in age, and I am awaiting results to see if it is a distinct species.

Echinoderma sp. iNat 63939282 © Matthew Koons

 

Echinoderma sp. 2 aff flavidoasperum

This species has a warm yellow brown cap and a mostly smooth stem. E. flavidoasperum, from China, from which it differs by 6-7bp and 1-2 indels has a slightly reddening stem when handled. This sister species was found in the Cascade mountains in Manning Park BC and near Stampede Pass, WA.

Echinoderma sp. 2 aff flavidoasperum © Danny Miller

 

Echinoderma white

This single collection had a mostly white cap with pale, erect scales, but we don't have any DNA yet. It's possible it was an albino form of something.

Echinoderma white © Danny Miller

Leucocoprinus - click to expand

• small, delicate fruit bodies
• usually a striate cap margin, a clear ring that's often movable and granular-looking scale particles

Leucocoprinus does not deserve its own genus, according to strict rules, as it is parphyletic with Leucoagaricus ("inside" instead of "beside" or sister to it). But it seems to be a good monophyletic group of species with distinct characters so I am retaining the genus name here. This is usually a hot weather or tropical genus (mostly found in the summer), and except for one common "wild" species, others are only found locally in potted plants or greenhouses.

 

Leucocoprinus brebissonii

Black granular scales on the disc making an "eye". Very similar to the slightly stockier 'Lepiota' atrodisca, but never has any black on the ring. (That probably belonging in Leucoagaricus and described above in that section). It is now a wild species, found in forests. It was introduced to the PNW around 1994 and has become very common. If it's found indoors, consider L. heinemannii, below.

Leucocoprinus brebissonii © Steve Trudell

 

Leucocoprinus cf birnbaumii

A bright yellow mushroom, covered in granules. Almost always found indoors or in artificially heated areas. This is a complex of species in Europe, so I don't know how many species we have or if the real thing is one of them. We need local samples.

Leucocoprinus cf birnbaumii © Steve Trudell

 

Leucocoprinus cf cepistipes

All white, or with pale brown scales. Uncommon, found both indoors and outdoors. We need local DNA to determine if we have the same species as in Europe. Since most of these are non-native, introduced species, it would not be surprising if ours was the same as the European species.

Leucocoprinus cf cepistipes © Michael Beug

 

Leucocoprinus cf ianthinus

Purple. Found only indoors. Two asian sequences differ by 4 bp. I don't have any local sequences. The type is from the UK. Again, though, it is likely that we have the real species as it is never found in the wild.

Leucocoprinus cf ianthinus © Steve Trudell

 

Other species

Josh Birkeback did a study that found three additional species in western Washington - species that nobody else has ever found, to my knowledge, except for one. They should be looked for again.

 

Leucocoprinus cf flavescens

Also yellow, but not quite as bright, and often with a brownish disc and fewer granular scales on the cap. Found once in WA in a covered can outside a UW greenhouse. We need local DNA as well as type area DNA (Ohio) to compare to.

probable Leucocoprinus cf flavescens from eastern North America © Stephen Russell

 

Leucocoprinus cf cretaceus

All white with a more copious powdery covering than L. cepistipes. Found once in WA in wood chips with horse manure. We need local DNA to prove we have the real European species.

Leucocoprinus cf cretaceus from outside North America © Daniel Winkler

 

Leucocoprinus heinemannii

Black scaly disc, like L. brebissonii, but with larger, more fibrillose scales instead of tiny granules, and not quite as much of an "eye". It's a European species reported once in Washington in a greenhouse, and just recently found again by me in a potted plant just outside another greenhouse in Seattle.

Leucocoprinus heinemannii © Danny Miller

Cystolepiota - click to expand

• small, delicate fruitbodies
• a shaggy appearance overall from a cottony universal veil material, no ring on the stem. Uncommon to rare.

 

Cystolepiota cf seminuda group

Our least rare species has a white cap with pinkish stem and is not usually as shaggy as the others when young due to little velar material (half nude). There is a group of species matching this description all over the world; we have some east coast names but no west coast names that I know of for potential species, so we will probably need new names for ours. I have found 2 genetic species in the PNW, neither the likely real thing. Nor are they closely related to our best guess of the real thing. The second species was especially slender, but there was only one fruitbody.

Cystolepiota cf seminuda #1 and #2 © NAMA and the Field Museum of Natural History, iNaturalist user haunma

 

Cystolepiota aff bucknallii

This rare, beautiful, purple, cottony mushroom smells strongly and disagreeably like coal tar. This is a group of species in Europe and we have something distinct from all of them that likely needs a new name.

Cystolepiota aff bucknallii © Lauren Ré

 

Cystolepiota cf moelleri

This very rare mushroom has pink velar material on the cap. We have potential European DNA but need local DNA to confirm if we have this species, or what the two BC and WA collections that resembled that species really are.

probable Cystolepiota cf moelleri © A and O Ceska

 

Cystolepiota oregonensis

Copious velar material, staining rusty brown in age and where handled. An uncommon to rare mushroom described from Oregon. We do not have DNA yet, but it is believed to be closely related to the European C. hetieri, which is a group of species in the EU.

Cystolepiota oregonensis © Danny Miller

 

Cystolepiota fumosifolia

Not petite (~3cm) white, cottony mushroom turning smoky coloured in cap and gills in age. Described from WA, and we have California DNA but need Washington DNA to confirm theirs is the same species. Rare.

 

Cystolepiota petasiformis

Copious cottony veil material, often forming a false conehead. Smells farinaceous. Described from Washington, we have California DNA and BC DNA (3 bp from each other in ITS2 only) but no Washington DNA yet. Rare.

Cystolepiota petasiformis © Christian Schwarz

 

Cystolepiota aff petasiformis

Found once in Washington, this is a sister species. No photo or description yet. Very rare.

Melanophyllum - click to expand

• a small (<5cm) amazing Cystolepiota that evolved coloured red and/or green spores
• greyish-brown cap, bright red free gills and scales all over the cap and stem.

 

Cystolepiota ('Melanophyllum') haematospermum complex

Olive green spores when fresh, reddish brown spores when dried. This is a group of species, all called Melanophyllum haematospermum. Worldwide, there are at least 10 species concepts with ITS DNA >3% different from each other, but studies have not yet found any macroscopic or microscopic differences to be able to tell them apart yet. If the DNA is continuously variable without distinct clades, and no other differences can be found, perhaps it will still continue to be considered one species. But it's certainly possible ours could be given a unique name. We only have DNA from California so far, not the PNW.

Since they live "inside" Cystolepiota and not "beside" it, they technically don't deserve their own genus.

Cystolepiota ('Melanophyllum') aff haematospermum © Andrew Parker

Lepiota - click to expand

• small to medium mushrooms (cap <10cm, stem <1cm thick)
• stems may be smooth, scaly or shaggy
• caps smooth or scaly, but not shaggy, granular or striate, fruitbodies not staining red
• smooth stemmed species that don't stain red, don't have pink or black scales and don't have reddish radiating fibrils instead of scales that break up individually or concentrically are  difficult to distinguish from Leucoagaricus. Check there too.

 

Shaggy stems, with some cottony material (some are reported as potentially deadly poisonous)

Lepiota magnispora

This common, medium sized PNW mushroom, described from WA, is a little larger than most. It usually has quite a dark, coloured "eye" on the disc. The stem is shaggy, unlike most other similar species. The group of shaggy stemmed Lepiotas have much larger spores than most others. The mushrooms in this group have been reported to be deadly poisonous.

probable Lepiota magnispora © Steve Trudell

 

Lepiota ventriosospora

Not a synonym, although some have declared it is. The type is from the UK, and it is found in AZ and ID (inland desert areas, I suspect). Rare. The scales on the rest of the cap may be a bit paler then the cap eye, and there may be yellow on the ring, but practically, it is very difficult to distinguish without sequences.

 

Lepiota clypeolaria

This similar European species is also found in North America, commonly in the east and uncommonly here in the west. The eye is not usually as distinct, and the ring on the stem is said to be less ragged.

Lepiota clypeolaria © Jan Agosti

 

Lepiota erminea group

A mostly all-white form of the shaggy stemmed Lepiotas turns out to be an actual unique species and not an albino form, which doesn't always happen (and it can have a somewhat brownish disc, so it is not always entirely white). It is usually called Lepiota alba but that is a newer synonym.

DNA from a collection near the WA/ID border matches several reliable European sequences of L. erminea within 2 or 3 bp, which is the same amount that European sequences can vary by.

One white collection from Idaho and another that may be from Wyoming do not match any other sequences well, so there may be a second undescribed species in the interior. We need more collections.

Lepiota erminea © Andrew Parker

 

Lepiota sp. FJ235149 OR

DNA of an undescribed species in this group was found in southern Oregon near oak. I have no collection data yet about its colour or other details. We need more collections.

 

Lepiota aff subincarnata

This not uncommon, deadly species has pinkish scales on the cap and pinkish shaggy scales on the stem. It stains slightly reddish. It is not closely related to the L. magnispora group of deadly species, but instead, closer to the L. castanea group of deadly species that normally have sharper scales on their stems. Sometimes mistakenly called Lepiota josserandii. Not unommon. Our local DNA is 3bp and 3 indels different than the only European sequence I can find. In this group, that would not necessarily be enough differences to mean it's a different species, except that within the PNW and in sequences from Korea and Pakistan, the DNA is always consistent, and only the one EU sequence I have shows this variation, so I'd like to see more European sequences, since it is a European species.

Lepiota subincarnata © Michael Beug

 

Lepiota cf helveola

This is a species similar to Lepiota subincarnata with pinkish-brown scales, perhaps with a stem that is a little scalier and less shaggy. It has been reported from the PNW but needs confirmation. We have DNA from European and eastern North America collections that resemble this European species, but we no confirmed DNA from anywhere yet. We need collections from everywhere to prove it is here.

 

 

Scaly stems  (some are reported as potentially deadly poisonous)

Lepiota aff castanea

This not uncommon European species has warm brown scale colours and sharper scales on the stem than in the species with shaggy stem scales (in this photo they only remain at the bottom of the stem). It has been reported to be deadly poisonous. PNW BC sequences are about 10 bp different than European sequences, eastern NA sequences and a BC sequence close to the Yukon border (which all seem to be the real species).

Lepiota aff castanea © Daniel Winkler

 

Lepiota aff pilodes

I need a description to be able to tell this species apart from L. castanea. It seems to be about as common. Sequences from BC and CA are about 10 bp from European material so our species likely needs a new name. Eastern North America seems to have a third species. We need photos and collections to learn how it differs from L. castanea.

 

Lepiota sp. 5 (iNat35547281)

This newly detected species (from BC and WA) is more uncommon, but also similar to L. castanea. We need a way to tell it apart.

Lepiota sp. 5 (iNat35547281) © Danny Miller

 

Lepiota fuscosquamea

This east coast species was never described very well, and all details except for a vague macroscopic description were not taken from the type material and are to be taken with a grain of salt. It is described macroscopically is similar to L. castanea, but not quite as delicate as those above. We have DNA for it from the east coast of something that vaguely looked like it could be it, but we need local collections and a type study to figure out what it is. It is rumoured from the PNW, so take those rumours with a grain of salt.

Lepiota fuscosquamea, Quebec © Renée Lebeuf

 

Lepiota clypeolarioides

Another medium species like L. fuscosquamea, and also not well understood. Described from the UK, it's not entirely clear what this species' DNA is, but I have a guess. It's been reported from the PNW, so we need collections to sequence. I also don't know if it is deadly.

 

Leptioa cortinarius

Also medium sized species similar to L. fuscosquamea and L. cortinarius, but with two important differences. There is an abrupt bulb on the bottom of the stem and the veil is cobwebby like Cortinarius. Described from the EU, it's not entirely clear what this species' DNA is, but I have a guess (it may be closely related to L. clypeolarioides). It's been rumoured from the PNW, but those rumours are especially vague, so we need collections to prove it.

 

Lepiota aff felina

This uncommon species has very dark brown scales instead of warm brown scales on the cap and stem, but it's reportedly not quite inside one of the two deadly clades, and may not be deadly. Charles McIlvaine, the famous American mycophagist from the late 1800s reported eating it as part of his quest to try all the known mushrooms that weren't known to be deadly at the time. Fortunately for him, he found this little Lepiota instead of one of the other deadly ones in this section. That may have been his closest brush in his years long experiment. Our species is 6bp from European sequences, so we may need a new name. In other parts of the world, they have their own potential species similarly distant.

Lepiota aff felina © Steve Trudell

 

Lepiota fuscovinacea

This species has purplish-brown scales. We have DNA from Europe but need to confirm its presence in the PNW (there's only been one report I know of).

 

 

Bald stems, easily confused with Leucoagaricus.

Leptiota cristata

This common species is recognized by usually orange-brown colours, a slight umbo, growth in disturbed places more often than natural places (although I have sequences of it from Bridle Trails State Park, which is pretty wild), and a strong scent that may be pleasantly sweet and fruity or unpleasant like rubber. Its ITS DNA differs by about 1.5% around the world (it was described from Europe), with no geographical pattern or other detectable differences between the specimens. That is a higher than an average species might vary (~0.5%) , but it does seem to be all one good species. However, almost identical species do occur in addition, described next.

Lepiota cristata © Daniel Antone

 

Lepiota aff cristata

This rarer sister species is more often found in natural habitats, but otherwise matches L. cristata. It is found in California and BC so far. Since L. cristata has been found in wild places too, there's no good way to differentiate them beyond DNA yet.

Lepiota aff aff cristata (sp. 9)

Some BC sequences are 7-12 different from Lepiota aff cristata (~2%). Given that Lepiota cristata has 1.5% variation within its species, I don't know if this should represent a different species or not.

Lepiota aff aff cristata (sp. 9) © Jonathan Frank

 

Lepiota kauffmanii

Described from Oregon in 1933 and never reported since, it is said to much resemble Lepiota cristata. This could be a good name for one of the two above unnamed species, but we'll need a type sequence or more collections to find out.

 

Lepiota castaneidisca group

These species are very similar to L. cristata, but tend to have more reddish brown colours and no umbo. They are found in natural habitats. Practically, they can be difficult to distinguish from L. cristata, including microscopically. There are 2 genetic species in California, cryptic and not separable except for DNA. We do not have any PNW sequences yet to tell which of the two occur here, but we have some reliable reports that at least one of them probably do. One very dirty sequence from BC is likely in this group. We need collections.

Lepiota castaneidisca © Dimitar Bojantchev

 

Other similar species exist in California and may exist in the PNW as well, that can be differentiated microscopically from the above groups.

 

 

Other species

Lepiota pulcherrima

There is confusion about this name. It was described in 1922 from Oregon, but the name was already in use for another mushroom, so the name will have to be changed. As for what it is, it may just be an incorrect synonym for the pink 'Lepiota' decorata, actually a Leucoagaricus. But some think it is a distinct, mostly white 'Lepiota' (true genus unsure).

 

Lepiota sp. 8 (MF955106)

DNA found twice in BC, once in CA. No photos or description.

 

Lepiota sp. 3 (MF955085)

A related species, DNA found twice in BC, once in Norway as cf Echinoderma pseudoasperulum, but it appears much more likely this and sp. 8 are Lepiotas instead, forming their own branch.

 

Lepiota subnivosa, subfelina, concentrica and amplifolia

These species were described from the PNW back in 1912, and we're still not sure what they represent. Hopefully I'll have more information later. Lepiota subnivosa belongs in Leucoagaricus. I don't know about L. amplifolia. The other two probably do belong in Lepiota.

Leucoagaricus - click to expand

• LARGE mushrooms (cap ~10cm, stem 1-2cm thick) that are not Chlorophyllum nor with erect scales like Echinoderma
• SMALL mushrooms (cap <5cm, stem <0.5cm thick) with a smooth stem and a ring
• smaller mushrooms are difficult to distinguish from Lepiota, so check there too, but try Leucoagaricus first if the mushroom stains red, has reddish fibrils that radiate out from the cap centre instead of breaking up individually or concentrically, and for those with pink or black scales.

(Some are still officially called Lepiota because moving them to Leucoagaricus is not necessarily the final word on how that genus will end up being arranged).

Cystoderma and Cystodermella - click to expand

• small (usually <5cm), covered in granular scales on both the caps and stems, and found on the ground.
• Most are orange to red, although white forms exist for several species. Common.

Cystoderma usually have amyloid spore walls (turning black in iodine) and Cystodermella don't. They look very much the same, but are not closely related.

 

Cystoderma amianthinum group

This common species group is the brightest orange coloured mushroom group in the section. It is thought to only leave a faint trace of a ring, but some specimens have had a fairly substantial ring and been mistaken for C. carcharius, below. There are several closely related species in this group going by this name, three of which have been found in the PNW so far. It's anybody's guess if the real C. amianthinum is among them, but if an epitype sequence is to be believed, we don't.

Cystoderma amianthinum group © Danny Miller

 

Cystoderma jasonis

Very similar, perhaps less likely to be found in moss, perhaps a little darker in colour and perhaps with slightly larger granules. It is so similar that it was never noticed to be present in the PNW until a UBC student found and sequenced one. The biggest difference is microscopic - longer spores. It used to be considered a variety of C. amianthinum (var. longispora) but it's not closely related enough to be a variety.

Cystoderma jasonis © Noah Siegel

 

Cystoderma 'carcharias' ('fallax')

This species has the most well developed ring of any species in this group. C. carcharias is a rare white mushroom, and C. fallax is a very common orange-brown mushroom. They can have identical DNA. European sequences of both colours may vary from each other by as much as 3 bp, but most consider it all one species. Our local PNW sequences are an additional 2-3 bp different. This may be enough to push ours over the edge of a species boundary and require a new name, but that is unclear. The ring can wear off making it resemble other species.

Cystoderma 'carcharias' © Steve Trudell, white form © Boleslaw Kuznik

 

'Cystoderma' gruberianum

This small (<3cm) clay-brown capped mushroom is found on Doug fir logs instead of on the ground, has a conic cap, and has very large amyloid spores compared to other species. It was described from Oregon, and is very rare (not found again since it was described in 1949). I'm not convinced it's actually a Cystoderma but somebody will need to find it again or sequence the type to figure out what it is.

Cystoderma gruberianum © University of Michigan

 

Cystodermella 'granulosa' (and 'ambrosii')

C. granulosa has a darker orange-brown to reddish-brown cap, with no extra sterile cells on the gill edges (cheilocystidia). Our local sequences are 3bp and 3 indels different than European material, so perhaps ours needs a new name. This common species is also rarely found with a white cap, called C. ambrosii, but does not have any different ITS DNA when it does, so it may more correctly be considered a colour form of C. granulosa.

Cystoderma 'granulosa' brown form © Andrew Parker

 

Cystodermella adnatifolia

This east coast species is also found out here (sequenced collections from near Mt. Rainier and near Stampede Pass in WA). It is similar to C. granulosa and I don't yet know how to distinguish it (perhaps it can be a little brighter or more orange than C. granulosa, but the colours probably overlap). It is probably not uncommon.

Cystodermella adnatifolia © NAMA and the Field Museum of Natural History

 

Cystodermella cinnabarina

Sometimes brighter coloured but also can be coloured very much like C. granulosa, this species has large sterile cells on the gill edges, giving them a fringed appearance under a hand lens if you don't have a microscope. Our local sequence is 2 bp different from EU material, but for the moment let's assume ours is the same species.

Cystodermella cinnabarina © Lauren Ré

 

Cystodermella subpurpurea

Described from Oregon, so it's definitely here, but it's another species not found again since it was originally described in 1948. It has a very small (<1cm) grey cap with a purplish tinge. We need to find it again or sequence the type to find out what it really is.

Phaeolepiota - click to expand

• Notable for pale yellow to orange brown spores. This will make it difficult to place it in this family. Uncommon.
• large size (up to 20cm or more) and orange leather-like veil that is extremely thick.

 

Phaeolepiota cf aurea It is quite a wonder to find one, but it is fairly uncommon. It appears to be a sister genus to Cystoderma. We do not have local DNA to verify if our species is the European species or needs a new name. Occasionally reported with free gills.

Phaeolepiota cf aurea © Steve Trudell

Floccularia - click to expand

• larger, stockier mushrooms than Cystoderma/Cystodermella, scaly cap and stem, found on the ground, usually with bright yellow colours.
• the Lepiotoid genus most easily confused with Tricholoma, but uncommon.

 

Floccularia albolanaripes

Described from Oregon, this somewhat resembles a veiled Tricholoma. It has bright yellow scaly cap often with brown on the disc, and a very shaggy stem.

Floccularia albolanaripes © Andrew Parker

 

Floccularia cf luteovirens

This European species is supposedly even scalier on the disc (bright yellow scales) and has been reported from the PNW, but perhaps only once since the 1950's. We need collections to prove whether or not it's actually here, or if these represent reports of F. albolanaripes.

Leucopholiota - click to expand

• small orange mushroom, scaly all over, with amyloid spores like Cystoderma but growing on decayed wood instead of on the ground. Rare.

 

Leucopholiota sp.

Leucopholiota decorosa was described from NY, and is one candidate for what our species might be. Another is the boreal species Leucopholiota lignicola, described from Scandanavia, since all 4 collections found so far in the PNW are from about 51 degrees north or higher in BC. We need both local sequences and Scandanavian sequences to find out.

Leucopholiota sp. © Paul Kroeger

Squamanita - click to expand

• very rare, very cool parasites on other mushrooms that seem to turn the mushroom into a hybrid, with the attacked mushroom on the bottom half and the purple-grey Squamanita on the top.

 

Squamanita paradoxa

Described from Oregon. Greyish-purple parasite on Cystoderma amianthinum and Cystoderma carcharias. Note that the bottom half of the mushroom still looks like Cystoderma and the top half is a Squamanita.

Squamanita paradoxa © Kit Scates Barnhart

 

Squamanita contortipes

Described from Washington. Our smallest species, <1cm across, Mycenoid, greyish-purple on Galerina species.

 

Squamanita cf pearsonii

This British species is very similar to S. pardoxa but differs microscopically. One report from Washington needs to be verified.

 

Squamanita cf odorata

This European species has a notable sweet, grape odor. It parasitizes Hebeloma mesophaeum. A Squamanita found in the 50's clearly had that same odor but sequences will need to be made to verify that ours is the same species.