View A43-1112-1979-eng.pdf

EDIBLE AND POISONOUS MUSHROOMS OF CANADA
white and the chief distinguishing character of the genus is the texture of the
lamellae. This texture is difficult to describe but is usually termed waxy, and is
fairly readily recognizable with a little field experience. The lamellae are as a
rule rather thick, more or less triangular in shape, and usually subdistant to
distant. The attachment to the stipe varies considerably in different species
from adnexed to decurrent.
Some of the species are brilliantly colored, scarlet to orange, yellow, or in
one species bright green. Others are duller colored, brown, gray, dull viola-
ceous, or white. They may be moist or dry, or both the pileus and stipe may be
viscid, or only the pileus viscid.
The genus Hygrophorus is divided into three sections based on the struc-
ture of the trama of the lamellae. This is a character that can be determined
only by making thin transverse sections of the lamellae and examining them
under the microscope. In this treatment not much emphasis is laid on the
structure of the trama but from a scientific standpoint it is such a valuable
character in making identifications when a microscope is available that it has
been included in the descriptions. However, the key and descriptions are so
arranged that it should be possible to identify the species described here
without knowing the structure of the trama.
Three types of structure may be found. In the first the trama is said to be
'divergent' and in this type the hyphae form a more or less definite core in the
center of the lamella and from it they curve out obliquely and rather loosely to
the hymenium. The other two types are said to be 'parallel' or 'interwoven'
and sometimes difficulty may be encountered in deciding whether a particular
specimen has parallel trama or interwoven trama.
In general there is a correlation between the structure of the trama and
the diameter of the hyphae. If the tramal hyphae are consistently more than
7/x broad the species will usually be classified in the group with parallel hyphae,
and if they are consistently less than 7 /x broad, it will be found in the group
with interwoven hyphae. Those species with divergent trama are placed in the
subgenus Limacium, those with interwoven trama in Camarophyllus, and those
with parallel trama in Hygrocybe.
Although some of the species are small, many of them are among our best
edible mushrooms. Only H. conicus is considered to be dangerous and it is
easily recognized by its conical shape and blackening flesh.
Laccaria laccata is likely to be mistaken for a Hygrophorus but it has
spiny spores.
Figures 212-221
212. Hygrophorus russula. 213. Mycenapura.
214. Laccaria laccata. 215. L. ochropurpurea.
216. Xeromphalina campanella. 217. X.campanella.
218. Mycena leaiana. 219. M. leaiana.
220. Collybia acervata. 221. C. acervata.
132