Mycena californiensis
Encyclopedia
Mycena californiensis is a species of fungus
in the Mycenaceae
family. It is a common and abundant species in the coastal oak woodlands of California
, where it grows saprobically, feeding on the fallen leaves and acorns of various oak
species. First described in 1860 by Berkeley
and Curtis
, the species was collected four years earlier during an exploring and surveying expedition. It was subsequently considered a doubtful species by later Mycena
researchers, until a 1999 publication validated the taxon. Mycena elegantula is considered a synonym
.
Making their appearance in late autumn to early winter, the small and fragile fruit bodies
are characterized by reddish-brown tones in the cap
, stem
, and the edges of the gills. If cut, the mushroom tissue will "bleed" a deep reddish to orangish latex
. As is typical of the genus Mycena
, caps of M. californiensis are bluntly conical, becoming bell-shaped to convex, and eventually flatten out when old. They measure up to 2 cm (0.78740157480315 in) in diameter, and are attached to thin, hollow stems that are up to 13 cm (5.1 in) long.
during the North Pacific Exploring and Surveying Expedition
of 1853–56. The single collection was found growing on fallen oak
leaves at Mare Island Naval Shipyard
, in Solano County, California
in January 1856. The specimen was sent by American mycologist Moses Ashley Curtis
to his British colleague Miles Joseph Berkeley
, who published a brief description of the species in 1860, calling it Agaricus californiensis, in what was then the subgenus
Mycena. Berkeley and Curtis noted that it differed from A. aurantio-marginatus (known today as Mycena aurantiomarginata
) in the nature of the gills, and they called it "a more graceful species." In his 1887 Sylloge Fungorum, Pier Andrea Saccardo
raised the subgenus Mycena to generic status, so the species became known as Mycena californiensis.
In his 1947 monograph
of North American Mycena, Alexander H. Smith
included it as an "excluded or doubtful species", saying that the species "cannot be recognized until the microscopic characters of the type are known." Researching his 1982 monograph of Mycena, Maas Geesteranus
examined the holotype
material—the particular specimen designated by Berkeley and Curtis to represent the type of the species. Because of its deteriorated condition, however, he was unable to corroborate the distinguishing features proposed by Berkeley and Curtis, and he agreed with Smith's assessment of the species.
In the late 1990s, as part of his studies on the Mycena of California, Brian Perry noted that a common species in California, usually referred to as Mycena elegantula or , presented characteristics not congruent with either (in particular, M. elegantula had not previously been reported to contain latex). He compared isotype material (material collected at the same time and place as the holotype
) of M. californiensis with Californian specimens and the type of M. elegantula and found all of them to represent the same species, publishing the results with Dennis Desjardin in their 1999 Mycotaxon article "Mycena californiensis resurrected". Part of the confusion, they noted, was apparently due to Smith's concept of M. elegantula not agreeing with the species' type (something also noticed by Geesteranus).
Because M. californiensis is the earlier name (published in 1860 vs. 1895 for Mycena elegantula), it has priority
over the later name M. elegantula, according to the rules of botanical nomenclature.
of M. californiensis is initially conic or bell-shaped, but flattens out in maturity, and typically reaches dimensions of up to 2 cm (0.78740157480315 in). The cap margins (edges) are curved inwards when young, but as they age they become wavy or crenate (with rounded scallops), develop striations (radial grooves) and may even split. The surface of the cap is dull and smooth. Its color ranges from reddish-brown to brownish-orange in young specimens, with the color fading as the mushroom matures; the center of the cap is usually darker than the margins. The flesh
is thin, and either the same color as the cap or ligher; it may stain a dark red color when bruised.The gills have an adnate attachment to the stem—broadly attached slightly above the bottom of the gill, with most of the gill fused to the stem. They are not closely spaced together, and there are about 15–20 of them. Some of the gills do not extend the full distance from the edge of the cap to the stem. These short gills, called lamellulae, form one to two groups of roughly equal length. All of the gills have a white to pinkish-buff color, with the gill edges ranging from reddish-orange to reddish-brown to brownish-orange. The hollow stem is 29 – long by 1 – thick, and roughly the same thickness throughout. The top of the stem may be either pruinose (appearing to be covered with a very fine whitish powder on a surface) or smooth, while the stem base is covered with "hairs" that may be strigose (large, coarse, and bristle-like) to downy (soft and fuzzy). The stem is some shade of brown. The mushroom tissue will "bleed" a brownish-range to reddish brown latex
when it is cut. The edibility of M. californiensis is unknown.
, the spore
s appear white. Further details are revealed with a light microscope: the spores are ellipsoid to almond-shaped, smooth, thin-walled, and measure 8–12 by 4–6 µm
. The basidia (the spore-bearing cells) are club-shaped, four-spored, and typically have dimensions of 26–37.5 by 7–10.5 µm. M. californiensis has cheilocystidia (cystidia on the gill edges) that measure 16–50 by 6.5–20 µm. These cells have irregular projections that can range in size from 1.5–18.8 by 1.5–6.5 µm and are variously shaped, from knob-like to cylindrical. The cells contain brownish contents that will stain darkly with Melzer's reagent
, a common chemical reagent
used in mushroom identification. With the exception of the medullary hypha
e of the stem (longitudinally-arranged hyphae making up the stem surface), all hyphae contain clamp connection
s.
, a species that also exudes reddish latex. It can be distinguished from M. californiensis by the fusiform (tapering at each end) cheilocystidia that do not have outgrowths. An additional difference between the two is that M. sanguinolenta is associated with conifer wood and debris.
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
in the Mycenaceae
Mycenaceae
The Mycenaceae are a family of fungi in the order Agaricales. According to the Dictionary of the Fungi , the family contains 10 genera and 705 species. This is one of several families that were separated from the Tricholomataceae as a result of phylogenetic analyses...
family. It is a common and abundant species in the coastal oak woodlands of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it grows saprobically, feeding on the fallen leaves and acorns of various oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
species. First described in 1860 by Berkeley
Miles Joseph Berkeley
Miles Joseph Berkeley was an English cryptogamist and clergyman, and one of the founders of the science of plant pathology....
and Curtis
Moses Ashley Curtis
Moses Ashley Curtis was a noted American botanist.Curtis was born in Stockbridge, Massachusetts and educated at Williams College in Massachusetts. After graduating, he became a tutor for the children of former Governor Edward Bishop Dudley in Wilmington, North Carolina, returning to Massachusetts...
, the species was collected four years earlier during an exploring and surveying expedition. It was subsequently considered a doubtful species by later Mycena
Mycena
Mycena is a large genus of small saprotrophic mushrooms that are rarely more than a few centimeters in width. They are characterized by a white spore print, a small conical or bell-shaped cap, and a thin fragile stem. Most are gray or brown, but a few species have brighter colors. Most have a...
researchers, until a 1999 publication validated the taxon. Mycena elegantula is considered a synonym
Synonym (taxonomy)
In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...
.
Making their appearance in late autumn to early winter, the small and fragile fruit bodies
Basidiocarp
In fungi, a basidiocarp, basidiome or basidioma , is the sporocarp of a basidiomycete, the multicellular structure on which the spore-producing hymenium is borne. Basidiocarps are characteristic of the hymenomycetes; rusts and smuts do not produce such structures...
are characterized by reddish-brown tones in the cap
Pileus (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...
, 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...
, and the edges of the gills. If cut, the mushroom tissue will "bleed" a deep reddish to orangish latex
Latex
Latex is the stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic.Latex as found in nature is a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins,...
. As is typical of the genus Mycena
Mycena
Mycena is a large genus of small saprotrophic mushrooms that are rarely more than a few centimeters in width. They are characterized by a white spore print, a small conical or bell-shaped cap, and a thin fragile stem. Most are gray or brown, but a few species have brighter colors. Most have a...
, caps of M. californiensis are bluntly conical, becoming bell-shaped to convex, and eventually flatten out when old. They measure up to 2 cm (0.78740157480315 in) in diameter, and are attached to thin, hollow stems that are up to 13 cm (5.1 in) long.
History and taxonomy
The species was originally collected for science purposes by the American botanist Charles WrightCharles Wright (botanist)
Charles Wright was an American botanist.Wright was born in Wethersfield, Connecticut, the son of James Wright and Mary née Goodrich. He studied classics and mathematics at Yale, and in October 1835 moved to Natchez, Mississippi to tutor a plantation owner's family...
during the North Pacific Exploring and Surveying Expedition
North Pacific Exploring and Surveying Expedition
The North Pacific Exploring and Surveying Expedition, also known as the Rodgers-Ringgold Expedition was a United States scientific and exploring project from 1853 to 1856....
of 1853–56. The single collection was found growing on fallen oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
leaves at Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...
, in Solano County, California
Solano County, California
Solano County is a county located in Bay-Delta region of the U.S. state of California, about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento and is one of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. The county's population was reported by the U.S. Census to be 413,344 in 2010...
in January 1856. The specimen was sent by American mycologist Moses Ashley Curtis
Moses Ashley Curtis
Moses Ashley Curtis was a noted American botanist.Curtis was born in Stockbridge, Massachusetts and educated at Williams College in Massachusetts. After graduating, he became a tutor for the children of former Governor Edward Bishop Dudley in Wilmington, North Carolina, returning to Massachusetts...
to his British colleague Miles Joseph Berkeley
Miles Joseph Berkeley
Miles Joseph Berkeley was an English cryptogamist and clergyman, and one of the founders of the science of plant pathology....
, who published a brief description of the species in 1860, calling it Agaricus californiensis, in what was then the subgenus
Subgenus
In biology, a subgenus is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.In zoology, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the generic name and the specific epithet: e.g. the Tiger Cowry of the Indo-Pacific, Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, which...
Mycena. Berkeley and Curtis noted that it differed from A. aurantio-marginatus (known today as Mycena aurantiomarginata
Mycena aurantiomarginata
Mycena aurantiomarginata, commonly known as the golden-edge bonnet, is a species of fungus in the Mycenaceae family. It has a widespread distribution, common in Europe, and North America, and also having been collected in North Africa, Asia, and Central America. The fungus is saprobic, and produces...
) in the nature of the gills, and they called it "a more graceful species." In his 1887 Sylloge Fungorum, Pier Andrea Saccardo
Pier Andrea Saccardo
Pier Andrea Saccardo was an Italian botanist and mycologist.- Life :...
raised the subgenus Mycena to generic status, so the species became known as Mycena californiensis.
In his 1947 monograph
Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
of North American Mycena, Alexander H. Smith
Alexander H. Smith
Alexander Hanchett Smith was an American mycologist known for his extensive contributions to the taxonomy and phylogeny of the higher fungi, especially the agarics.-Early life:...
included it as an "excluded or doubtful species", saying that the species "cannot be recognized until the microscopic characters of the type are known." Researching his 1982 monograph of Mycena, Maas Geesteranus
Rudolph Arnold Maas Geesteranus
Rudolph Arnold Maas Geesteranus, born 20 January 1911 in The Hague, died May 18 2003 in Oegstgeest, was a Dutch mycologist.-References:...
examined the holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
material—the particular specimen designated by Berkeley and Curtis to represent the type of the species. Because of its deteriorated condition, however, he was unable to corroborate the distinguishing features proposed by Berkeley and Curtis, and he agreed with Smith's assessment of the species.
In the late 1990s, as part of his studies on the Mycena of California, Brian Perry noted that a common species in California, usually referred to as Mycena elegantula or , presented characteristics not congruent with either (in particular, M. elegantula had not previously been reported to contain latex). He compared isotype material (material collected at the same time and place as the holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
) of M. californiensis with Californian specimens and the type of M. elegantula and found all of them to represent the same species, publishing the results with Dennis Desjardin in their 1999 Mycotaxon article "Mycena californiensis resurrected". Part of the confusion, they noted, was apparently due to Smith's concept of M. elegantula not agreeing with the species' type (something also noticed by Geesteranus).
Because M. californiensis is the earlier name (published in 1860 vs. 1895 for Mycena elegantula), it has priority
Principle of Priority
thumb|270px|Boa manditraIn zoology, the scientific study of animals, the Principle of Priority is one of the guiding principles of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, defined by Article 23....
over the later name M. elegantula, according to the rules of botanical nomenclature.
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...
of M. californiensis is initially conic or bell-shaped, but flattens out in maturity, and typically reaches dimensions of up to 2 cm (0.78740157480315 in). The cap margins (edges) are curved inwards when young, but as they age they become wavy or crenate (with rounded scallops), develop striations (radial grooves) and may even split. The surface of the cap is dull and smooth. Its color ranges from reddish-brown to brownish-orange in young specimens, with the color fading as the mushroom matures; the center of the cap is usually darker than the margins. 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 thin, and either the same color as the cap or ligher; it may stain a dark red color when bruised.The gills have an adnate attachment to the stem—broadly attached slightly above the bottom of the gill, with most of the gill fused to the stem. They are not closely spaced together, and there are about 15–20 of them. Some of the gills do not extend the full distance from the edge of the cap to the stem. These short gills, called lamellulae, form one to two groups of roughly equal length. All of the gills have a white to pinkish-buff color, with the gill edges ranging from reddish-orange to reddish-brown to brownish-orange. The hollow stem is 29 – long by 1 – thick, and roughly the same thickness throughout. The top of the stem may be either pruinose (appearing to be covered with a very fine whitish powder on a surface) or smooth, while the stem base is covered with "hairs" that may be strigose (large, coarse, and bristle-like) to downy (soft and fuzzy). The stem is some shade of brown. The mushroom tissue will "bleed" a brownish-range to reddish brown latex
Latex
Latex is the stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic.Latex as found in nature is a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins,...
when it is cut. The edibility of M. californiensis is unknown.
Microscopic characteristics
In deposit, such as with a spore printSpore 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...
, 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 appear white. Further details are revealed with a light microscope: the spores are ellipsoid to almond-shaped, smooth, thin-walled, and measure 8–12 by 4–6 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 (the spore-bearing cells) are club-shaped, four-spored, and typically have dimensions of 26–37.5 by 7–10.5 µm. M. californiensis has cheilocystidia (cystidia on the gill edges) that measure 16–50 by 6.5–20 µm. These cells have irregular projections that can range in size from 1.5–18.8 by 1.5–6.5 µm and are variously shaped, from knob-like to cylindrical. The cells contain brownish contents that will stain darkly with Melzer's reagent
Melzer's Reagent
Melzer's reagent is a chemical reagent used by mycologists to assist with the identification of fungi.-Composition:...
, a common chemical reagent
Chemical tests in mushroom identification
Chemical tests in mushroom identification are methods that aid in determining the variety of some fungi. The most useful tests are Melzer's reagent and potassium hydroxide.- Ammonia :Household ammonia can be used. A couple of drops are placed on the flesh...
used in mushroom identification. With the exception of the medullary hypha
Hypha
A hypha is a long, branching filamentous structure of a fungus, and also of unrelated Actinobacteria. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium; yeasts are unicellular fungi that do not grow as hyphae.-Structure:A hypha consists of one or...
e of the stem (longitudinally-arranged hyphae making up the stem surface), all hyphae contain 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.
Similar species
Mycena californiensis may be distinguished from the closely related M. atromarginata by its smaller size and the purplish tint to the edge of the gills, and from M. purpureofusca by its differently shaped, longer spores. Another Mycena commonly confused with M. californiensis is M. sanguinolentaMycena sanguinolenta
Mycena sanguinolenta, commonly known as the bleeding bonnet, the smaller bleeding Mycena, or the terrestrial bleeding Mycena, is a species of mushroom in the Mycenaceae family. It is a common and widely distributed species, and has been found in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia...
, a species that also exudes reddish latex. It can be distinguished from M. californiensis by the fusiform (tapering at each end) cheilocystidia that do not have outgrowths. An additional difference between the two is that M. sanguinolenta is associated with conifer wood and debris.