Omphalina is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of small agaric

Agaric

An agaric is a type of fungal fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus that is clearly differentiated from the stipe , with lamellae on the underside of the pileus. "Agaric" can also refer to a basidiomycete species characterized by an agaric-type fruiting body...

s with white, nonamyloid

Amyloid (mycology)

In mycology the term amyloid refers to a crude chemical test using iodine in either Melzer's reagent or Lugol's solution, to produce a black to blue-black positive reaction. It is called amyloid because starch gives a similar reaction, and that reaction for starch is also called an amyloid reaction...

, basidiospore

Basidiospore

A basidiospore is a reproductive spore produced by Basidiomycete fungi. Basidiospores typically each contain one haploid nucleus that is the product of meiosis, and they are produced by specialized fungal cells called basidia. In grills under a cap of one common species in the phylum of...

s and decurrent

Decurrent

Decurrent is a term used in botany and mycology to describe plant or fungal parts that extend downward.In botany, the term is most often applied to leaf blades that partly wrap or have wings around the stem or petiole and extend down along the stem...

 gills. Typically 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...

 has a deep central depression giving the umbrella

Umbrella

An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...

-like to funnel-shaped cap the appearance of a belly button, or a belly with a navel

Navel

The navel is a scar on the abdomen caused when the umbilical cord is removed from a newborn baby...

. Similarly-shaped agarics are said to be omphalinoid in appearance.

Etymology

Omphalina is the diminutive

Diminutive

In language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...

 of Omphalia which is a reference to the belly button or navel

Navel

The navel is a scar on the abdomen caused when the umbilical cord is removed from a newborn baby...

-like appearance of the small dome-shaped caps with a central depression. It derives from the Greek

Greek language

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...

 word omphalos

Omphalos

An omphalos is an ancient religious stone artifact, or baetylus. In Greek, the word omphalos means "navel" . According to the ancient Greeks, Zeus sent out two eagles to fly across the world to meet at its center, the "navel" of the world...

.

Historical nomenclatural confusion

The generic name Omphalina is an ancient one, linked to the even older mushroom name Omphalia which cannot be used because it is an illegitimate later homonym. Historically, the former was generally applied to any white-spored, similarly sized and shaped mushroom

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...

. As a result, many species that still are labeled Omphalina, or were labeled Omphalia are in fact not true Omphalinas. The now conserved type

Conserved name

A conserved name or nomen conservandum is a scientific name that has specific nomenclatural protection. Nomen conservandum is a Latin term, meaning a "name which should be conserved"...

 species is Omphalina pyxidatahttp://fungus.org.uk/moore/Omphalina%20pyxidata.htmhttp://myconormandie.free.fr/affiche-photo.php?photo=373http://floreoleron.free.fr/page1.php3?nom_genre=Omphalina&nom_espece=pyxidata&nom_famille=Tricholomataceae&nom_francais=Omphale%20en%20coupe&type_fiche=a&structure_fiche=2f&description=µ=&carte=&nom_url_fiche=&nom_photo1=omphalina%20pyxidata%2001%20r.jpg&date_photo1=Novembre%202005&lieu_photo1=Les%20Allassins&auteur_photo1=Martine%20CARLI&format_photo1=h&nom_photo2=omphalina%20pyxidata%2002%20r.jpg&date_photo2=Novembre%202005&lieu_photo2=Les%20Allassins&auteur_photo2=Martine%20CARLI&format_photo2=h].Prior to conservation of the type, typification was debated and unstable for several decades.

Phylogenetic redefinition

Molecular phylogenetic studies using DNA

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...

 show this species and others on moss

Moss

Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...

es with reddish brown to yellowish brown pigment

Pigment

A pigment is a material that changes the color of reflected or transmitted light as the result of wavelength-selective absorption. This physical process differs from fluorescence, phosphorescence, and other forms of luminescence, in which a material emits light.Many materials selectively absorb...

s that encrust the 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...

l walls are related, while many other former Omphalinas are distantly related and are classified in other orders

Order (biology)

In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...

, or families

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

, and in other genera.

Biology

Omphalina in the modern sense is a small genus of bryophyte

Bryophyte

Bryophyte is a traditional name used to refer to all embryophytes that do not have true vascular tissue and are therefore called 'non-vascular plants'. Some bryophytes do have specialized tissues for the transport of water; however since these do not contain lignin, they are not considered to be...

 colonizing mushrooms. They grow on mossy burned soils and in undisturbed mossy areas in Arctic

Arctic

The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...

, Antarctic

Antarctic

The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...

, alpine

Alpine climate

Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....

 and rural

Rural

Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...

 and urban

Urban area

An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...

 sites. Many other bryophilous mushrooms occur in such habitats but they have other characteristics.

Reclassified and excluded former Omphalinas

Lichenized omphalinas, which are basidiolichen

Basidiolichen

Basidiolichens are lichenized members of the Basidiomycota, a much smaller group of lichens than the far more common ascolichens in the Ascomycota. In arctic, alpine, and temperate forests, the most common basidiolichens are in the agaric genus Lichenomphalia and the clavarioid genus Multiclavula...

s, are now placed in Lichenomphalia

Lichenomphalia

Lichenomphalia is both a basidiolichen and an agaric genus. Most of the species have inconspicuous lichenized thalli that consist of scattered, small, loose, nearly microscopic green balls or foliose small flakes containing single-celled green algae in the genus Coccomyxa, all interconnected by a...

. Examples are: Omphalina ericetorum also known as Omphalina umbellifera, now called Lichenomphalia umbellifera; etc.

Bryophilous grey to blackish former omphalinas are in the genus Arrhenia

Arrhenia

Arrhenia is a genus of about 25 species in the Tricholomataceae family. Arrhenia also includes species formerly placed in the genera Leptoglossum and Phaeotellus and the lectotype species itself has an unusual growth form that would not normally be called agaricoid...

. Examples are: Omphalina epichysium, now Arrhenia epichysium; Omphalina sphagnicola now Arrhenia sphagnicola; etc.

Any former omphalina with amyloid

Amyloid (mycology)

In mycology the term amyloid refers to a crude chemical test using iodine in either Melzer's reagent or Lugol's solution, to produce a black to blue-black positive reaction. It is called amyloid because starch gives a similar reaction, and that reaction for starch is also called an amyloid reaction...

 spores goes into another genus. These genera include 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...

, Myxomphalia

Myxomphalia

Myxomphalia is a genus of fungi in the Tricholomataceae family. The genus has a widespread distribution in north temperate areas, and contains four species....

, Pseudoarmillariella

Pseudoarmillariella

Pseudoarmillariella is a genus of fungi in the Hygrophoraceae family. The genus contains two species found in Central America and North America....

, Xeromphalina

Xeromphalina

Xeromphalina is a genus of fungi in the family Mycenaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution, and contains about 30 species.-Species:*X. amara*X. brunneola*X. campanella*X. campanelloides*X. cauticinalis*X. cornui...

, etc.

No true Omphalina has gelatinized or slimy tissues or brightly colored pigments. Neither do they have cystidia. Excluded species whose exclusion is supported by molecular analysis, include the genera: Blasiphalia

Blasiphalia

Blasiphalia is a monotypic genus with a honey colored omphalinoid agaric in the Hymenochaetales that grows with the liverwort genus Blasia Phylogenetically related agarics are in the genera Rickenella, Gyroflexus, Loreleia, Cantharellopsis and Contumyces, as well as the stipitate-stereoid genera...

, Chrysomphalina

Chrysomphalina

Chrysomphalina is a genus of four species of fungi with a North Temperate distribution.-External links:* at Index Fungorum...

, Chromosera

Chromosera

Chromosera is a genus of fungi in the Hygrophoraceae family. The genus is monotypic, containing the single species Chromosera cyanophylla. The generic name honors the mycologist Meinhard Moser, and also alludes to the distinct coloration of the mushrooms....

, Contumyces

Contumyces

Contumyces is a genus of brightly colored bryophilous agarics in the Hymenochaetales that have an omphalinoid morphology, and therefore were previously classified in Omphalina. They inhabit mossy silty or sandy soils in the Northern Hemisphere...

, Gerronema

Gerronema

Gerronema is a genus of small- to medium-sized lignicolous agarics with white, nonamyloid, basidiospores and decurrent lamellae. The genus, first described by American mycologist Rolf Singer in 1951, contains 13 species.-Description:...

, Haasiella

Haasiella

Haasiella is a genus of fungi in the Tricholomataceae family. The genus contains two species found in Europe....

, Loreleia

Loreleia

Loreleia is a genus of brightly colored agarics in the Hymenochaetales that have an omphalinoid morphology. They inhabit mosses and or liverworts on soil in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...

, Rickenella

Rickenella

Rickenella is a genus of brightly colored bryophilous agarics in the Hymenochaetales that have an omphalinoid morphology. They inhabit mosses on mossy soils, peats, tree trunks and logs in temperate regions of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres...

, etc.

Species

• Omphalina arctica
• Omphalina chionophila
• Omphalina demissa
• Omphalina favrei
• Omphalina foetida
• Omphalina fulvopallens
• Omphalina grisea
• Omphalina kuehneri
• Omphalina mutila
• Omphalina nothofaginea
• Omphalina pseudomuralis
• Omphalina pyxidata
  Omphalina pyxidata
  Omphalina is a species of fungus in the Tricholomataceae family, and the type species of the genus Omphalina. It is found in North America and Europe....
  
  
• Omphalina rivulicola
• Omphalina subhepatica
• Omphalina wallacei
• Omphalina wellingtonensis