''Inocybe hystrix'' is an agaric fungus in the family
Inocybaceae
The Inocybaceae are a family of fungi in the order Agaricales. Members of this family have a widespread distribution in tropical and temperate areas.
Taxonomy
The type genus of the Inocybaceae, ''Inocybe'', had traditionally been placed within ...
. It forms
mycorrhiza
A mycorrhiza (from Greek μύκης ', "fungus", and ῥίζα ', "root"; pl. mycorrhizae, mycorrhiza or mycorrhizas) is a symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant. The term mycorrhiza refers to the role of the fungus in the plant ...
with surrounding
deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...
trees.
Fruit bodies
The sporocarp (also known as fruiting body, fruit body or fruitbody) of fungi is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing structures, such as basidia or asci, are borne. The fruitbody is part of the sexual phase of a fungal life cyc ...
are usually found growing alone or in small groups on leaf litter during autumn months. Unlike many '' Inocybe'' species, ''Inocybe hystrix'' is densely covered in brown scales, a characteristic that aids in identification. The mushroom also has a spermatic odour that is especially noticeable when the mushroom is damaged or crushed.
Like many other ''Inocybe'' mushrooms, ''Inocybe hystrix'' contains dangerous amounts of muscarine and should not be consumed.
Taxonomy
The species was first described in 1838 by Elias Fries under the name ''Agaricus hystrix''. Finnish mycologist
Petter Karsten
Petter Adolf Karsten (16 February 1834 – 22 March 1917) was a Finnish mycologist, the foremost expert on the fungi of Finland in his day, and known in consequence as the "father of Finnish mycology".
Karsten was born in Merimasku near Turku, s ...
later (1879) transferred it to ''Inocybe''.
Description
Fruit bodies have convex to plano-convex caps measuring in diameter. The caps are dry with scales that can be either erect or flat on the surface. The colour is brown in the centre, becoming paler towards the edges. The flesh is white, and has a spermatic odour and mild taste. The gills are closely spaced, white to dull brown, and have fringed edges. The stipe measures long by thick, and is roughly the same width throughout its length; like the cap, it is scaly.
The spore print is cinnamon brown. spores are roughly almond-shaped, smooth, inamyloid, and measure 8–12.5 by 5–6.5
μm
The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American spelling), also commonly known as a micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Unit ...
hypha
A hypha (; ) is a long, branching, filamentous structure of a fungus, oomycete, or actinobacterium. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium.
Structure
A hypha consists of one or ...
e.
The species is poisonous.
Habitat and distribution
In North America and Europe, ''Inocybe hystrix'' grows in
deciduous forest
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...
, especially
beech
Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...
. In Costa Rica, it is found in the Cordillera Talamanca, where it associates with ''
Quercus costaricensis
''Quercus costaricensis'' is a species of oak native to Central America (Costa Rica, Honduras, and Panama). It is often found with ''Quercus copeyensis'' in the upper montane forests, to elevation.