M. rugo´sa Fr.—ruga, a wrinkle. Pileus ash-color but becoming pale, very tough, slightly fleshy at the disk, otherwise membranaceous, bell-shaped then expanded, at length rather plane, somewhat obtuse, more or less corrugated (unequal with elevated wrinkles), always dry, not moist even in rainy weather, striate at the circumference. Stem commonly short, remarkably cartilaginous, tubed, rigid, tough, straight, at length compressed, even, smooth, pallid, with a short oblique hairy root. Gills arcuato-adnate, with a decurrent tooth, united behind in a collar, somewhat distant, connected by veins, broad, ventricose, white then gray, edge sometimes quite entire, sometimes with saw-like teeth.
Always inodorous. Formerly connected with M. galericulata. M. rugosa is arid, very tough, more rarely cespitose, the pileus firm, somewhat obtuse, wrinkled but without striæ, the gills arcuato-adnate with a hooked tooth, white then ash-color. The genuine M. galericulata is fasciculato-cespitose, somewhat fragile, the pileus thinner, at first conical and umbonate, striate without wrinkles, the gills adnate, with a decurrent tooth, white then flesh-color. Between these there is a long series of intermediate forms. Fries.
California, H. and M.; Kansas, Cragin; Wisconsin, Bundy; New York, September, Peck, 46th Rep.; West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. On decaying wood and ground near stumps. August to November. McIlvaine.
The tenacity frequently occurring in Mycena is well shown in this species. The caps and stem cook tender, but it is better to discard the stems, as the two do not become tender at the same time.
M. galericula´ta Scop.—galericulum, a small peaked cap. (Plate Plate [X], fig. 5, p. 28.) Pileus somewhat membranaceous, conical bell-shaped then expanded, striate to the umbo, dry, smooth, becoming brownish-livid or changeable in color. Stem rigid, polished, even, smooth, with a spindle-shaped root at the base. Gills adnate, decurrent with a tooth, connected by veins, whitish and flesh-colored.
Very protean. Normally growing in bunches, the numerous stems (never sticky) glued together with soft hairy down at the base. But it occurs also solitary, larger, pileus as much as 2 in. broad, wrinkled-striate. The essential marks by which it is distinguished from A. rugosa are these: Stem in general thinner, less tense and straight, often curved, more fragile. Pileus membranaceous, conico bell-shaped, umbonate, striate but not corrugated, moist in rainy weather. Gills adnate, with a decurrent tooth, more crowded, whitish then flesh-colored. The color both of the pileus (normally dingy-brownish then livid) and of the stem (normally becoming livid-brownish) is much more changeable than that of A. rugosa, becoming yellow, rust colored, etc. It is not so tough and pliant as A. rugosa. Forms departing from the type are very numerous; the most beautiful is var. calopus (Gr., beautiful; Gr., a foot) with chestnut-colored stems, united in a spindle-shaped tail. Fries.
Spores spheroid or subspheroid, 9–10×6–8µ K.; 8–11×4–6µ B.; 6–7×4µ Massee.
Common. Autumnal. Very variable. On trunks, fallen leaves.
Two well-marked varieties of this very variable species were observed the past season. One grows on the ground among fallen leaves. It has a dark brown pileus, close lamellæ and a very long stem, generally of a delicate pink color toward the top. It might be called var. longipes. The other grows under pine trees, has a broadly convex or expanded grayish-brown pileus and a short stem. It might be called var. expansus. Peck, 26th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
“M. alcalina is closely allied to it (M. galericulata), but has a stronger alkaline odor and a rather more fragile stem. In one of your specimens I detect a slight incarnate tint to the gills, and this is pretty conclusive evidence that it belongs to M. galericulata. Species of Mycena are not generally reckoned among edible fungi or even promising fungi; I suppose on account of the thin flesh of the cap, but of course it is possible to make up in numbers what is lacking in size. I am glad to know you have found this to be an esculent one.” Letter Professor Peck to C. McIlvaine, October 5, 1893.