Pholiota
Encyclopedia
Pholiota is a genus
of small to fleshy mushroom
s in the family Strophariaceae
. The genus has a widespread distribution, especially in temperate
regions, and contains about 150 species.
Pholiota is derived from the Greek word pholis, meaning "scale".
cap surface, growth on wood, and spores
which are brown in deposit
.
These spores are smooth with a germ pore
, although
the germ pore can be quite narrow in species.
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 to fleshy 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...
s in the family Strophariaceae
Strophariaceae
The Strophariaceae are a family of fungi in the order Agaricales. The family contains 18 genera and 1316 species. The species of Strophariaceae have a red-brown to dark brown spore print, while the spores themselves are smooth and have an apical germ pore. These agarics are also characterized by...
. The genus has a widespread distribution, especially in temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
regions, and contains about 150 species.
Pholiota is derived from the Greek word pholis, meaning "scale".
Taxonomic details
The genus Pholiota is defined as mushrooms, with a glutinouscap surface, growth on wood, and spores
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...
which are brown in deposit
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...
.
These spores are smooth with a germ pore
Germ pore
A germ pore is a small pore in the outer wall of a fungal spore through which the germ tube exits upon germination. It can be apical or eccentric in its location, and, on light microscopy, may be visualized as a lighter coloured area on the cell wall....
, although
the germ pore can be quite narrow in species.