Xeromphalina setulipes
Encyclopedia
Xeromphalina setulipes is a species of Mycenaceae
fungus. First collected in 2005, it was described and named in 2010 by Fernando Esteve-Raventós and Gabriel Moreno, and is known only from oak
forests in Ciudad Real Province, Spain. The species produces mushroom
s with dark reddish-brown caps
up to 15 millimetre (0.590551181102362 in) across, dark purplish-brown stems
up to 45 millimetres (1.8 in) in height and distinctive, arched, brown gills. The mushrooms were found growing directly from the acidic soil of the forest floor
, surrounded by plant waste, during November.
Morphologically
, the dark colour of the gills and stem, lack of a strong taste, and characters of the cystidia (large cells
found on the mushrooms) are the most distinguishing characteristics of X. setulipes. These features allow the species to be readily distinguished from other, similar species, including X. cauticinalis and X. brunneola. Its ecology and habitat are also distinct, but it is unclear whether they can serve as certain identifying characteristics. Within the genus Xeromphalina
, X. setulipes is classified in the section
Mutabiles, along with several other species. It seems most closely related to X. fraxinophila
, X. cornui, X. campanelloides and X. cauticinalis, but, according to Esteve-Raventós and colleagues, further analysis is required to accurately judge the relationships between the species of Xeromphalina.
in 2010 in an article in Mycological Progress by Fernando Esteve-Raventós and Gabriel Moreno, both of the University of Alcalá
. The description was based on specimens collected during 2005 field work in Ciudad Real Province, Spain
. The type specimen was collected on 17 November, and was found 770 metres (2,526.2 ft) above sea level. The specific epithet setulipes is from the Latin
setula, meaning "stiff hair", and pes, meaning "foot", in reference to the bristly hairs which cover the stem
.
Within Xeromphalina, X. setulipes is part of the section
Mutabiles, which also contains X. campanelloides, X. cauticinalis, X. cirris, X. cornui, X. fraxinophila
and X. parvibulbosa. Phylogenetic analysis
performed by Esteve-Raventós and colleagues concluded that X. setulipes appears to be most closely related to X. fraxinophila, X. cornui, X. campanelloides and X. cauticinalis, the five of which are clearly separate from the group containing X. campanella
, X. kauffmanii, X. brunneola, and, possibly, X. junipericola. Data from the large subunit (60S
) of the nuclear ribosomal RNA
gene suggests that the species is most closely related to X. campanelloides, while internal transcribed spacer
(ITS) data place it closest to a clade
containing X. cauticinalis and X. aff. parvibulbosa (an unidentified species similar, but not identical, to X. parvibulbosa). Further research, analysing the ITS or RPB2 loci
, could serve to help clarify the precise relationships of species and positions of clades within the genus.
s in the form of mushroom
s. Each mushroom has a flattened-convex cap
of between 8 and 15 mm (0.31496062992126 and 0.590551181102362 in) in diameter with a depressed centre. It is not particularly hygrophanous
(it does not change color as it loses or absorbs water), and, unlike the caps of related species, is neither grooved nor translucent at the margin. The cap is dark brown, sometimes with reddish colouration. It becomes paler, turning tobacco
-brown, when it dries; this change is more noticeable at the cap margin. The caps of young mushrooms are smooth and hairless, but they wrinkle as they age; however, fine, soft hairs are sometimes visible towards the margin (which is rolled inwards) when the cap is dry. The margin is typically not smooth; instead, it undulates.
The cylindrical stem measures between 30 and 45 mm (1.2 and 1.8 in) in length by 1 and 2 mm (0.0393700787401575 and 0.078740157480315 in) in width, though it is slightly thicker at the very bottom. It is stiff, but can be somewhat flexible. The colour is a dark brown, sometimes approaching black, with purplish hints. It appears smooth, but is actually covered in minute tufts. The hairs at the base of the stem are somewhat more visible, and are an amber colour. The gills are subdistant (neither close to, nor distant from, one another) and are of a distinctive shape; they are decurrent, that is, they extend down the stem, and are noticeably arched. The gills can be up to 2 mm (0.078740157480315 in) thick, and sometimes split into two. The gills are a tobacco-brown no matter the age of the mushroom, though the edges can be paler (sometimes whitish) and crenulate. The flesh
is firm but flexible, and the same colour as the surface. It has an indistinct smell, and a taste that is not bitter.
s (μm) by 2.9 to 3.7 μm. They are amyloid
, meaning that they stain a dark colour in Melzer's reagent
or Lugol's solution, and have thin cell wall
s. The four-spored (occasionally two-spored) basidia are shaped like narrow clubs, sometimes approaching cylindrical, and measure between 21 and 30 μm long by 4.5 to 5.5 μm wide. The sterigmata, the narrow prongs that connect the spores to the basidia, can measure up to 3 μm in length. The edge of the gill is primarily made up of cheilocystidia (cystidia on the gill edge) but there are also some basidia. The hyaline
(translucent) cheilocystidia have an irregular, sometimes vaguely cylindrical shape, and measure between 30 and 80 μm by 3 to 7 μm. They are packed together, extending outwards from the gill in a manner reminiscent of coral
, as is sometimes seen in members of the genus Mycena
. The abundant caulocystidia (cystidia on the stem) project prominently, and are visible to the naked eye as the minute hairs on the stem. They measure between 30 and 60 μm by 5 to 10 μm. They are swollen in the middle, tapering at each end, but are irregular in shape and are often curved. The particularly thick cell walls can be as much as 2.5 μm wide. The caulocystidia are yellowish-brown. There are a large number of circumcystidia (cystidia found on the margin of the cap), which are similar to the cheilocystidia. They typically have thick cell walls, and numerous projections of various sorts grow from their sides. The circumcystidia form a mass reminiscent of coral.
The flesh in the gills is composed of cylindrical hyphae measuring between 4 and 8 μm thick that run parallel to one another. The hyphae typically have fairly thin, smooth walls, but they can have a small amount of brown pigment
, which stains orange-brown in potassium hydroxide
. The pileipellis
, the uppermost layer of hyphae in the cap, forms a cutis made up of cylindrical, slightly thicker-walled hyphae of between 5 and 10 μm wide. They can be interwoven or primarily extending from the margin to the centre. The pigmentation is yellowish-brown and stains reddish-brown in potassium hydroxide. The hyphae below the pileipellis run parallel to one another and measure between 4 and 8 μm in width. Their yellowish-brown pigment stains orange-brown in potassium hydroxide. The stipitipellis, the uppermost layer of hyphae on the stem, also forms a cutis. The cylindrical hyphae run parallel to one another and have thick cell walls. They have a dark red-brown pigment, which stains darker still in potassium hydroxide. Clamp connection
s are present.
woodland. Furthermore, the two do not appear to be closely related.
Other species within Mutabiles include X. campanelloides, which can be differentiated by the shape of the thin-walled caulocystidia and yellow flesh in the stem. X. cornui grows in softwood forests with Sphagnum
moss. Both the cap and the top of stem sport yellow grains. X. fraxinophila produces larger mushrooms and has yellow gills. X. parvibulbosa, while potentially featuring similar caulocystidia to X. setulipes, has a bitter or sour taste.
are saprotrophic, and X. setulipes was found in woodland made up of cork oak (Quercus suber) and Portuguese oak (Quercus faginea), with undergrowth consisting of gum rockrose
(Cistus ladanifer), prickly juniper
(Juniperus oxycedrus), and various heathers
(Erica species). The mushrooms were growing in clusters on the forest floor
from acid soil, surrounded by dead plant matter. The species's ecological patterns may be useful identifying characteristics, distinct from other, similar species. The mushrooms were found in autumn, and collected in November.
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...
fungus. First collected in 2005, it was described and named in 2010 by Fernando Esteve-Raventós and Gabriel Moreno, and is known only from 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...
forests in Ciudad Real Province, Spain. The species produces 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 with dark reddish-brown caps
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...
up to 15 millimetre (0.590551181102362 in) across, dark purplish-brown stems
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...
up to 45 millimetres (1.8 in) in height and distinctive, arched, brown gills. The mushrooms were found growing directly from the acidic soil of the forest floor
Forest floor
The forest floor, also called detritus, duff and the O horizon, is one of the most distinctive features of a forest ecosystem. It mainly consists of shed vegetative parts, such as leaves, branches, bark, and stems, existing in various stages of decomposition above the soil surface...
, surrounded by plant waste, during November.
Morphologically
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
, the dark colour of the gills and stem, lack of a strong taste, and characters of the cystidia (large cells
Cell (biology)
The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos....
found on the mushrooms) are the most distinguishing characteristics of X. setulipes. These features allow the species to be readily distinguished from other, similar species, including X. cauticinalis and X. brunneola. Its ecology and habitat are also distinct, but it is unclear whether they can serve as certain identifying characteristics. Within the genus 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...
, X. setulipes is classified in the section
Section (botany)
In botany, a section is a taxonomic rank below the genus, but above the species. The subgenus, if present, is higher than the section, and the rank of series, if present, is below the section. Sections are typically used to help organise very large genera, which may have hundreds of species...
Mutabiles, along with several other species. It seems most closely related to X. fraxinophila
Xeromphalina fraxinophila
Xeromphalina fraxinophila is a species of fungus in the Mycenaceae family. It is a plant pathogen.- External links :* *...
, X. cornui, X. campanelloides and X. cauticinalis, but, according to Esteve-Raventós and colleagues, further analysis is required to accurately judge the relationships between the species of Xeromphalina.
Taxonomy
Xeromphalina setulipes was first describedSpecies description
A species description or type description is a formal description of a newly discovered species, usually in the form of a scientific paper. Its purpose is to give a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it differs from species which have been described previously, or are...
in 2010 in an article in Mycological Progress by Fernando Esteve-Raventós and Gabriel Moreno, both of the University of Alcalá
University of Alcalá
The University of Alcalá is a public university located in Alcalá de Henares, a city 35 km northeast of Madrid in Spain. Founded in 1499, it was moved in 1836 to Madrid. In 1977, the University was reopened in its same historical buildings...
. The description was based on specimens collected during 2005 field work in Ciudad Real Province, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The type specimen was collected on 17 November, and was found 770 metres (2,526.2 ft) above sea level. The specific epithet setulipes is from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
setula, meaning "stiff hair", and pes, meaning "foot", in reference to the bristly hairs which cover 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...
.
Within Xeromphalina, X. setulipes is part of the section
Section (botany)
In botany, a section is a taxonomic rank below the genus, but above the species. The subgenus, if present, is higher than the section, and the rank of series, if present, is below the section. Sections are typically used to help organise very large genera, which may have hundreds of species...
Mutabiles, which also contains X. campanelloides, X. cauticinalis, X. cirris, X. cornui, X. fraxinophila
Xeromphalina fraxinophila
Xeromphalina fraxinophila is a species of fungus in the Mycenaceae family. It is a plant pathogen.- External links :* *...
and X. parvibulbosa. Phylogenetic analysis
Phylogenetics
In biology, phylogenetics is the study of evolutionary relatedness among groups of organisms , which is discovered through molecular sequencing data and morphological data matrices...
performed by Esteve-Raventós and colleagues concluded that X. setulipes appears to be most closely related to X. fraxinophila, X. cornui, X. campanelloides and X. cauticinalis, the five of which are clearly separate from the group containing X. campanella
Xeromphalina campanella
Xeromphalina campanella is a species of mushroom. The common names of the species include the golden trumpet and the bell Omphalina. The genus name Xeromphalina means "little dry navel" and campanella means "bell-shaped", respectively describing the mature and young shapes of the pileus, or cap...
, X. kauffmanii, X. brunneola, and, possibly, X. junipericola. Data from the large subunit (60S
60S
60S is the large ribosomal subunit in eukaryotes. It corresponds to 50S in prokaryotes.It consists of the following:* 5S* 28S* 5.8SThe following is a list of proteins contained within the 60S ribosome:...
) of the nuclear ribosomal RNA
Ribosomal RNA
Ribosomal ribonucleic acid is the RNA component of the ribosome, the enzyme that is the site of protein synthesis in all living cells. Ribosomal RNA provides a mechanism for decoding mRNA into amino acids and interacts with tRNAs during translation by providing peptidyl transferase activity...
gene suggests that the species is most closely related to X. campanelloides, while internal transcribed spacer
Internal transcribed spacer
ITS refers to a piece of non-functional RNA situated between structural ribosomal RNAs on a common precursor transcript. Read from 5' to 3', this polycistronic rRNA precursor transcript contains the 5' external transcribed sequence , 18S rRNA, ITS1, 5.8S rRNA, ITS2, 28S rRNA and finally the 3'ETS...
(ITS) data place it closest to a clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
containing X. cauticinalis and X. aff. parvibulbosa (an unidentified species similar, but not identical, to X. parvibulbosa). Further research, analysing the ITS or RPB2 loci
Locus (genetics)
In the fields of genetics and genetic computation, a locus is the specific location of a gene or DNA sequence on a chromosome. A variant of the DNA sequence at a given locus is called an allele. The ordered list of loci known for a particular genome is called a genetic map...
, could serve to help clarify the precise relationships of species and positions of clades within the genus.
Description
Xeromphalina setulipes produces basidiocarpBasidiocarp
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...
s in the form of 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. Each mushroom has a flattened-convex 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...
of between 8 and 15 mm (0.31496062992126 and 0.590551181102362 in) in diameter with a depressed centre. It is not particularly 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....
(it does not change color as it loses or absorbs water), and, unlike the caps of related species, is neither grooved nor translucent at the margin. The cap is dark brown, sometimes with reddish colouration. It becomes paler, turning tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
-brown, when it dries; this change is more noticeable at the cap margin. The caps of young mushrooms are smooth and hairless, but they wrinkle as they age; however, fine, soft hairs are sometimes visible towards the margin (which is rolled inwards) when the cap is dry. The margin is typically not smooth; instead, it undulates.
The cylindrical stem measures between 30 and 45 mm (1.2 and 1.8 in) in length by 1 and 2 mm (0.0393700787401575 and 0.078740157480315 in) in width, though it is slightly thicker at the very bottom. It is stiff, but can be somewhat flexible. The colour is a dark brown, sometimes approaching black, with purplish hints. It appears smooth, but is actually covered in minute tufts. The hairs at the base of the stem are somewhat more visible, and are an amber colour. The gills are subdistant (neither close to, nor distant from, one another) and are of a distinctive shape; they are decurrent, that is, they extend down the stem, and are noticeably arched. The gills can be up to 2 mm (0.078740157480315 in) thick, and sometimes split into two. The gills are a tobacco-brown no matter the age of the mushroom, though the edges can be paler (sometimes whitish) and crenulate. 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 firm but flexible, and the same colour as the surface. It has an indistinct smell, and a taste that is not bitter.
Microscopic characteristics
Xeromphalina setulipes has smooth, ellipsoid to somewhat cylindrical spores that measure from 5.0 to 7.3 micrometreMicrometre
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...
s (μm) by 2.9 to 3.7 μm. They are 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...
, meaning that they stain a dark colour in Melzer's reagent
Melzer's Reagent
Melzer's reagent is a chemical reagent used by mycologists to assist with the identification of fungi.-Composition:...
or Lugol's solution, and have thin cell wall
Cell wall
The cell wall is the tough, usually flexible but sometimes fairly rigid layer that surrounds some types of cells. It is located outside the cell membrane and provides these cells with structural support and protection, and also acts as a filtering mechanism. A major function of the cell wall is to...
s. The four-spored (occasionally two-spored) basidia are shaped like narrow clubs, sometimes approaching cylindrical, and measure between 21 and 30 μm long by 4.5 to 5.5 μm wide. The sterigmata, the narrow prongs that connect the spores to the basidia, can measure up to 3 μm in length. The edge of the gill is primarily made up of cheilocystidia (cystidia on the gill edge) but there are also some basidia. The hyaline
Hyaline
The term hyaline denotes a substance with a glass-like appearance.-Histopathology:In histopathological medical usage, a hyaline substance appears glassy and pink after being stained with haematoxylin and eosin — usually it is an acellular, proteinaceous material...
(translucent) cheilocystidia have an irregular, sometimes vaguely cylindrical shape, and measure between 30 and 80 μm by 3 to 7 μm. They are packed together, extending outwards from the gill in a manner reminiscent of coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
, as is sometimes seen in members 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...
. The abundant caulocystidia (cystidia on the stem) project prominently, and are visible to the naked eye as the minute hairs on the stem. They measure between 30 and 60 μm by 5 to 10 μm. They are swollen in the middle, tapering at each end, but are irregular in shape and are often curved. The particularly thick cell walls can be as much as 2.5 μm wide. The caulocystidia are yellowish-brown. There are a large number of circumcystidia (cystidia found on the margin of the cap), which are similar to the cheilocystidia. They typically have thick cell walls, and numerous projections of various sorts grow from their sides. The circumcystidia form a mass reminiscent of coral.
The flesh in the gills is composed of cylindrical hyphae measuring between 4 and 8 μm thick that run parallel to one another. The hyphae typically have fairly thin, smooth walls, but they can have a small amount of 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...
, which stains orange-brown in potassium hydroxide
Potassium hydroxide
Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula KOH, commonly called caustic potash.Along with sodium hydroxide , this colorless solid is a prototypical strong base. It has many industrial and niche applications. Most applications exploit its reactivity toward acids and its corrosive...
. The pileipellis
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....
, the uppermost layer of hyphae in the cap, forms a cutis made up of cylindrical, slightly thicker-walled hyphae of between 5 and 10 μm wide. They can be interwoven or primarily extending from the margin to the centre. The pigmentation is yellowish-brown and stains reddish-brown in potassium hydroxide. The hyphae below the pileipellis run parallel to one another and measure between 4 and 8 μm in width. Their yellowish-brown pigment stains orange-brown in potassium hydroxide. The stipitipellis, the uppermost layer of hyphae on the stem, also forms a cutis. The cylindrical hyphae run parallel to one another and have thick cell walls. They have a dark red-brown pigment, which stains darker still in potassium hydroxide. 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.
Similar species
Xeromphalina setulipes shows some similarities to X. cauticinalis. They share the amber-coloured hair towards the base of the stem and both grow on soil, as opposed to directly onto wood. Further, X. cauticinalis can display caulocystidia of the same distinctive shape as those of X. setulipes (though these are mixed with the other shapes more typical of the genus). X. cauticinalis mushrooms are typically of a different colour; for instance, the area at the top of the stem is paler than the rest, compared to the entirely dark stem of X. setulipes. Furthermore, X. cauticinalis has a very bitter taste. X. setulipes shares with X. brunneola its dark colouration and some microscopic traits. However, the two clearly differ in the shape of both the cheilocystidia and the pileocystidia, the width of the spores (the spores of X. brunneola measure between 2 and 3 μm in width) and the fact it is found specifically in softwoodSoftwood
The term softwood is used to describe wood from trees that are known as gymnosperms.Conifers are an example. It may also be used to describe trees, which tend to be evergreen, notable exceptions being bald cypress and the larches....
woodland. Furthermore, the two do not appear to be closely related.
Other species within Mutabiles include X. campanelloides, which can be differentiated by the shape of the thin-walled caulocystidia and yellow flesh in the stem. X. cornui grows in softwood forests with Sphagnum
Sphagnum
Sphagnum is a genus of between 151 and 350 species of mosses commonly called peat moss, due to its prevalence in peat bogs and mires. A distinction is made between sphagnum moss, the live moss growing on top of a peat bog on one hand, and sphagnum peat moss or sphagnum peat on the other, the...
moss. Both the cap and the top of stem sport yellow grains. X. fraxinophila produces larger mushrooms and has yellow gills. X. parvibulbosa, while potentially featuring similar caulocystidia to X. setulipes, has a bitter or sour taste.
Habitat, distribution and ecology
Xeromphalina setulipes is only known from the type locality in the province of Ciudad Real, Spain. Members of the MycenaceaeMycenaceae
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...
are saprotrophic, and X. setulipes was found in woodland made up of cork oak (Quercus suber) and Portuguese oak (Quercus faginea), with undergrowth consisting of gum rockrose
Gum rockrose
Cistus ladanifer is a species of flowering plant in the family Cistaceae. It is a native of the western Mediterranean region. It is indigenous to Spain, Portugal and north-west Africa. Common names include Gum Rockrose, Ladanum, Gum Ladanum and Brown-eyed Rockrose.It is a shrub growing 1-2.5 m tall...
(Cistus ladanifer), prickly juniper
Juniperus oxycedrus
Juniperus oxycedrus is a species of juniper, native across the Mediterranean region from Morocco and Portugal, north to southern France, east to westernmost Iran, and south to Lebanon and Israel, growing on a variety of rocky sites from sea level up...
(Juniperus oxycedrus), and various heathers
Erica
Erica ,the heaths or heathers, is a genus of approximately 860 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. The English common names "heath" and "heather" are shared by some closely related genera of similar appearance....
(Erica species). The mushrooms were growing in clusters on the forest floor
Forest floor
The forest floor, also called detritus, duff and the O horizon, is one of the most distinctive features of a forest ecosystem. It mainly consists of shed vegetative parts, such as leaves, branches, bark, and stems, existing in various stages of decomposition above the soil surface...
from acid soil, surrounded by dead plant matter. The species's ecological patterns may be useful identifying characteristics, distinct from other, similar species. The mushrooms were found in autumn, and collected in November.