Pseudoomphalinaceae

Not only are they hard to tell from other genera (and even mushrooms in other families) they don't look anything alike themselves. They were separated from Clitocybe by having amyloid spores and cystidia along with the similar Pseudolaccaria, but some European authors say both segregate genera lack cystidia so at best the cystidia are hard to find and there are no good separating characters besides this being one of the many genera that, unlike Clitocybe, have amyloid spores.

Species mentioned: Pseudoomphalina angelesiana, intermedia, kalchbrenneri. Neohygrophorus angelesianus.

Pseudoomphalina angelesiana WA (=Neohygrophorus angelesianus) - variable shades of brown, usually viscid, decurrent, and an often umbilicate species that sometimes looks somewhat waxy. These are some of the sequenced pictures that show its variation. The WA type sequence has a couple of ambiguous locations in ITS, and there are a few other differences between sequences as well. It's possible there is more than one species hiding in here.

Pseudoomphalina angelesiana © Krista Willmorth (from Idaho), Dean Lyons, Damon Tighe, and Warren Cardimona (all from California)

Pseudoomphalina intermedia WA - a farinaceous, dry capped little clitocyboid/omphalinoid (it's kind of intermediate in size) usually with strongly decurrent gills and an indented cap (sometimes sharply), but also quite variable looking as these photos show. The similar Pseudolaccaria pachyphylla is bitter tasting. We have the WA type sequence and sequences from WA, OR and ID that match almost perfectly (without the variation in ITS of P. angelesiana).

Pseudoomphalina kalchbrenneri EU - supposedly paler without the farinaceous odor, according to NA authors, but in Europe they say it is farinaceous. It has been reported from the PNW but we have no local sequences to prove that these reports are not mistaken P. intermedia. We need collections, as given the confusion, it might not really be here.

Pseudoomphalina PNW01 - one OR sequence is unique but low quality, and could represent a distinct species. We need to find this sequence again.