Psathyrella sphaerocystis P.D. Orton

Diagnosis fuente: FUNGI NON DELINEATI - Pars XXVI - Rare and interesting species of Psathyrella Eef Arnolds - Ed. Candusso - I ALASSIO - (SV) 2003
     Pileus up to 14 mm broad and 10 mm high, conico-convex, notexpanding, hygrophanus, when moist at first ochraceous (K. & W. 4B4-5B4), then pale greyish brown (5D4), weakly translucent-striate up to halfway the radius, on drying becoming ochraceous. Veil abundant, pale ochre-brown, at first forming a continuous furfuraceous layer on the surface of the pileus and first forming a continuous furfuraceous layer on the surface of the pileus and furfuraceous flocks on the stipe, gradually in part disappearing. Lamellae, L= 15, l= 1-3, moderately distant, adnate, up to 3 mm broad, brownish grey (5E4) with concolorous edge. Trama of lamellae brown. Stipe up to 30 x 1.5 mm, cylindrical, fistulose, not rooting, apex whitish, downwards ochraceous, at first flocculose by granular veil, becoming smooth. Context concolorous. Smell not distinctive.
      Spores 7.5-8.5(-9.5) x 4.5-5.5 x 4.5-5.0 um, on the average 8.2 x 5.1 x4.7 um, slightly to moderately flattened, in frontal view ovoid to ovoid-oblong (Q=1.5-1.7, Qav.= 1.6), often with truncate base, in side-view ellipsoid-oblong (Q= 1.7-1.85, Qav.= 1.8), very dark reddish brown (Mu. 10 R 2/3) in ammonia, subopaque, with apical germ pore |.5-2.0 um wide. Basidia 14-16 x 7.0-9.0 uum, 4-spored. Lamella edge sterile, made up of numerous pleurocystidioid cheilocystidia, 20-36 x 6,5-10 tm, lageniform to subfusiform, tapering into short, cylindrical neck, 3.5-4.5 um broad, with obtuse apex; spheropedunculate cells not seen. Pleurocystidia scattered, 22-35 x 8.0-11 jum, lageniform to utriform with short neck, 4.5-5.5 tum broad and obtuse apex, hyaline or with pale brown wall. Hymenophoral trama made up of cylindrical and inflated hyphae, 5.0-40 jum broad, thin-walled, hyaline or with pale brown parietal pigment, often minutely encrusted, Pileipellis an epithelioid hymeniderm, made up of clavate and pyriform cells, 12-35 pm broad. Veil made up of chains of inflated cells, the upper cells 28-56 x 13-47 tm, globose or ellipsoid, with yellow-brown, often thickened wall, often encrusted. Stipitipellis a cutis, made up of parallel, hyaline hyphae, 2.0-8.0 um broad, at apex with clusters of caulocystidia, Caulocystidia lageniform to utriform with obtuse apex like pleurocystidia, but more variable and some subcapitate, 21-37 x 9.0-14 um, with neck 3.0-6.5 jm broad, intermixed with numerous subglobose and clavate cells, 13-18 x 7.5-11 um, Clamp-connections present.
Collection depicted - THE NETHERLANDS, Drenthe, Westerbork,‘Orvelterzand’, on old cow dung (Scottish Highland cattle) in heathland on dry, acidic, sandy soil.