Entoloma haastii
Encyclopedia
Entoloma haastii is a mushroom
in the Entolomataceae
family. Described as new to science in 1964, it is known only from New Zealand, where it grows on the ground in leaf litter, usually near Nothofagus
species.
, on April 25, 1949. Egon Horak transferred the species to Rhodophyllus in a 1980 publication.
is initially conical later developing an umbo
and becoming rounded or bell-shaped, reaching diameter of 1.5 – in diameter. Older fruit bodies have margins that are turned upward. The cap color is dark brown or soot-brown but always has a bluish tinge. The surface is dry, covered by radially arranged wrinkles or veins, neither striate nor hygrophanous
. The gills are adnexed to almost free from attachment to the stem. They are somewhat distantly spaced, with between 16 and 22 gills extending fully from the stem to the edge of the cap, in addition to one to three tiers of interspersed lamelluae (short gills that do not extend fully from the stem to the cap edge). The gill color is grey-bluish later becoming pink, and the gill edges are straight or somewhat saw-toothed, and the same color as the gill face. The stem
is 4 – by 0.3 –, bulbous-rooting or club-shaped. The top portion of the stem is deep blue, the color fading towards the whitish or ochraceous
base, strongly fibrillose, dry, hollow, fragile, often twisted. The flesh
is blue in the cap and the upper parts of the stem, but whitish or yellowish at the base. The taste and odor of the mushroom are strongly acidulous. The spore print
is pink.
The spore
s are roughly spherical, with 5–7 blunt angles, and measure 7–9 by 6.5–8 µm
. The basidia (spore-bearing cells in the hymenium) are four-spored, with dimensions of 30–35 by 10 µm. There are no cheilocystidia nor pleurocystidia on the gills (cystidia on the edge and face of gills, respectively). The cuticle
is a trichoderm observed on not weathered specimens, or a cutis with suberect to cylindrical hyphae (5–12 µm diameter), terminal cells fusoid, membrane thin-walled, not gelatinized, with blue-brownish pigment in the cytoplasm
. Clamp connection
s are present in the hyphae.
species, but have also been recorded under species of Leptospermum
, Dacrydium
or Podocarpus
. The fungus is only known from New Zealand where is common. It is usually found at altitudes ranging from the coast to the timber line.
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
in the Entolomataceae
Entolomataceae
The Entolomataceae, also known as Rhodophyllaceae are a large family of pink spored terrestrial gilled mushrooms which includes the genera Entoloma, Rhodocybe, and Clitopilus. The family collectively contains over 1500 species, the large majority of which are in Entoloma...
family. Described as new to science in 1964, it is known only from New Zealand, where it grows on the ground in leaf litter, usually near Nothofagus
Nothofagus
Nothofagus, also known as the southern beeches, is a genus of 35 species of trees and shrubs native to the temperate oceanic to tropical Southern Hemisphere in southern South America and Australasia...
species.
Taxonomy
The fungus was described by mycologist Greta Stevenson in 1964. She found the original specimens rooting in litter in Dun Mountain, NelsonNelson, New Zealand
Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island....
, on April 25, 1949. Egon Horak transferred the species to Rhodophyllus in a 1980 publication.
Description
The capPileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
is initially conical later developing an umbo
Umbo (mycology)
thumb|right|[[Cantharellula umbonata]] has an umbo.thumb|right|The cap of [[Psilocybe makarorae]] is acutely papillate.An umbo is a raised area in the center of a mushroom cap. Caps that possess this feature are called umbonate. Umbos that are sharply pointed are called acute, while those that are...
and becoming rounded or bell-shaped, reaching diameter of 1.5 – in diameter. Older fruit bodies have margins that are turned upward. The cap color is dark brown or soot-brown but always has a bluish tinge. The surface is dry, covered by radially arranged wrinkles or veins, neither striate nor hygrophanous
Hygrophanous
The adjective hygrophanous refers to the color change of mushroom tissue as it loses or absorbs water, which causes the pileipellis to become more transparent when wet and opaque when dry....
. The gills are adnexed to almost free from attachment to the stem. They are somewhat distantly spaced, with between 16 and 22 gills extending fully from the stem to the edge of the cap, in addition to one to three tiers of interspersed lamelluae (short gills that do not extend fully from the stem to the cap edge). The gill color is grey-bluish later becoming pink, and the gill edges are straight or somewhat saw-toothed, and the same color as the gill face. The stem
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
is 4 – by 0.3 –, bulbous-rooting or club-shaped. The top portion of the stem is deep blue, the color fading towards the whitish or ochraceous
Ochre
Ochre is the term for both a golden-yellow or light yellow brown color and for a form of earth pigment which produces the color. The pigment can also be used to create a reddish tint known as "red ochre". The more rarely used terms "purple ochre" and "brown ochre" also exist for variant hues...
base, strongly fibrillose, dry, hollow, fragile, often twisted. The flesh
Trama (mycology)
In mycology trama is a term for the inner, fleshy portion of a mushroom's basidiocarp, or fruit body. It is distinct from the outer layer of tissue, known as the pileipellis or cuticle, and from the spore-bearing tissue layer known as the hymenium....
is blue in the cap and the upper parts of the stem, but whitish or yellowish at the base. The taste and odor of the mushroom are strongly acidulous. The spore print
Spore print
thumb|300px|right|Making a spore print of the mushroom Volvariella volvacea shown in composite: mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print...
is pink.
The spore
Spore
In biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many bacteria, plants, algae, fungi and some protozoa. According to scientist Dr...
s are roughly spherical, with 5–7 blunt angles, and measure 7–9 by 6.5–8 µm
Micrometre
A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...
. The basidia (spore-bearing cells in the hymenium) are four-spored, with dimensions of 30–35 by 10 µm. There are no cheilocystidia nor pleurocystidia on the gills (cystidia on the edge and face of gills, respectively). The cuticle
Pileipellis
thumb|300px||right|The cuticle of some mushrooms, such as [[Russula mustelina]] shown here, can be peeled from the cap, and may be useful as an identification feature....
is a trichoderm observed on not weathered specimens, or a cutis with suberect to cylindrical hyphae (5–12 µm diameter), terminal cells fusoid, membrane thin-walled, not gelatinized, with blue-brownish pigment in the cytoplasm
Cytoplasm
The cytoplasm is a small gel-like substance residing between the cell membrane holding all the cell's internal sub-structures , except for the nucleus. All the contents of the cells of prokaryote organisms are contained within the cytoplasm...
. Clamp connection
Clamp connection
A clamp connection is a structure formed by growing hyphal cells of certain fungi. It is created to ensure each septum, or segment of hypha separated by crossed walls, receives a set of differing nuclei, which are obtained through mating of hyphae of differing sexual types...
s are present in the hyphae.
Similar species
This fungus is similar to Entoloma nitidum (called Rhodophyllus nitidus Quel. by some authors) as described by Lange, but it is smaller with a less attenuated stem, and has substantially larger spores. It also resembles E. madidum.Habitat and distribution
The fruit bodies of E. haastii grow on the ground in leaf litter. They are typically found under NothofagusNothofagus
Nothofagus, also known as the southern beeches, is a genus of 35 species of trees and shrubs native to the temperate oceanic to tropical Southern Hemisphere in southern South America and Australasia...
species, but have also been recorded under species of Leptospermum
Leptospermum
Leptospermum is a genus of about 80-86 species of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. Most species are endemic to Australia, with the greatest diversity in the south of the continent; but one species extends to New Zealand, another to Malaysia, and L. recurvum is endemic to Malaysia.They...
, Dacrydium
Dacrydium
Dacrydium is a genus of conifers belonging to the podocarp family Podocarpaceae. Sixteen species of evergreen dioecious trees and shrubs are presently recognized. The genus was first described by Solander in 1786, and formerly included many more species, which were divided into sections A, B, and C...
or Podocarpus
Podocarpus
Podocarpus is a genus of conifers, the most numerous and widely distributed of the podocarp family Podocarpaceae. The 105 species of Podocarpus are evergreen shrubs or trees from 1-25 m in height...
. The fungus is only known from New Zealand where is common. It is usually found at altitudes ranging from the coast to the timber line.