Pholiota gummosa

An autumnal species found in parks, gardens, and track margins, on decaying buried wood or woody roots, growing in fasciculate clusters, with a convex to flattened pileus 3 to 6 cm across, squamose surface, pale brownish to whitish, adnate brownish lamellae, a cylindrical stipe concolorous with the cap, an indistinct grassy odour, and mild taste.

Pileipellis an ixocutis composed of a superficial layer of hyaline hyphae arranged more or less parallel, 2 to 5 µm wide, widely separated by gelatinization; below this lies a more compact layer 3 to 10 µm wide with abundant brown intracellular pigment; both septate with clamp connections.

Cheilocystidia subcylindrical, flexuous, some slightly capitate, 30 to 50 µm long and 5 to 8 µm wide.

Pleurocystidia (chrysocystidia) scattered, fusiform to lageniform, 35 to 50 µm long, 9 to 14 µm wide, containing abundant yellowish refractive granular inclusions.

Basidia cylindrical-clavate, short, 20 to 25 µm long, 6 to 8 µm wide, clamped at the base, 4-spored.

Spores ellipsoidal, thick- and smooth-walled, pale yellowish-brown under the microscope, 6 to 7.5 µm long, 3.5 to 4 µm wide, with a tiny eccentric apiculus at one pole and a small, faint germ pore at the opposite pole.