Conocybe rickenii is a mushroom from the genus Conocybe. Its edibility is disputed, and it has the appearance of a typical little brown mushroom with a small, conical cap, and long, thin stem. In colour, it is generally a cream-brown, lighter on the stem, and it has a thin layer of flesh with no distinct smell or taste. It is a coprophilous fungus, feeding off dung and it is most common on very rich soil or growing directly from dung. It can be found in Europe, Australia and Pacific islands.
| Conocybe rickenii | |
|---|---|
| |
| Two Conocybe rickenii, England | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Agaricales |
| Family: | Bolbitiaceae |
| Genus: | Conocybe |
| Species: | C. rickenii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Conocybe rickenii (Jul.Schäff.) Kühner (1935)
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Conocybe rickenii | |
|---|---|
 | Gills on hymenium |
 | Cap is conical |
 | Hymenium is adnate |
 | Stipe is bare |
 | Spore print is brown |
 | Ecology is saprotrophic |
 | Edibility is not recommended |
Taxonomy
editConocybe rickenii was first described in 1930 by German mycologist Julius Schäffer and named Galera rickenii. It was reclassified by Robert Kühner, who placed it in the genus Conocybe.[2]
Description
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Conocybe rickenii has a conical cap of 1 to 2.5 centimetres (0.4 to 1.0 in) across, which is an ochre-brown, sometimes becoming a little more grey at the centre. The stem is typically 40 to 70 millimetres (1.6 to 2.8 in) in height, by 1 to 2 millimetres (0.04 to 0.08 in) in thickness, and is whitish cream, darkening to a dirty brown with age. The thin layer of flesh is grey-brown in the cap, while lighter in the stem. It has ochre-cream (later darkening to rusty-ochre) gills,[2] which are adnate,[3] leaving a brown spore print. The spores themselves are elliptic to oval, measuring between 10–20 μm by 6–12 μm. It has two-spored basidia, and a cellular cap cuticle.[2]
It is generally a little larger than the slightly more common coprophilous C. pubescens,[4] while it can be differentiated from other dung-loving Conocybe by its two-spored basidia, large spores and the fact it does not have lecythiform (flask-shaped) caulocystidia.[5]
Edibility
editBritish mycologist Roger Phillips lists the edibility as unknown,[2] while David Pegler considers it inedible.[3] The flesh has no distinct smell or taste.[2]
Distribution and habitat
edit
Conocybe rickenii grows on extremely rich soil, especially on dung and compost heaps.[2] It can be found in very large numbers in gardens where horse manure has been used to enrich the soil.[3] It can be found in Europe,[2] Australia,[6] and Pacific islands and the United States.[5]
References
edit- ^ "Synonymy: Conocybe rickenii (Jul. Schäff.) Kühner". Species Fungorum. CAB International. Retrieved 2014-01-21.
- ^ a b c d e f g Phillips, Roger (1981). Mushrooms and Other Fungi of Great Britain and Europe. London: Pan Books. p. 154. ISBN 0-330-26441-9.
- ^ a b c Pegler, David N. (1983). Mushrooms and Toadstools. London: Mitchell Beazley Publishing. p. 162. ISBN 0-85533-500-9.
- ^ Pegler, 162
- ^ a b Hemmes, Don E.; Desjardin, Dennis E. (2002). Mushrooms of Hawai'i. Ten Speed Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-1-58008-339-3. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
- ^ "Occurrence search: Conocybe rickenii". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Retrieved 2014-01-21.