5 September 2021 South Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. Synonymns Pluteus boudieri, Pluteus depauperatus, Pluteus punctipes, Pluteus dryophiloides, Pluteus gracilis, Pluteus granulatus Cap Convex, expanding with age, fibrillose, covered with fine scales especially at the centre giving the impression of veins, margin lined, hazel brown, fawn or buff, paler when dry, to about 6 cm across Gills Free, crowded, broad, white then pale pink Stem Fibrous, whitish, sometimes with brown striations, lower half densely covered with fine brown or whitish scales, base slightly expanded Flesh Firm, white Smell Indistinct, or somewhat like Lepiota cristata Taste Indistinct Season Late summer to autumn Distribution Infrequent Habitat On rotten wood, usually from deciduous trees, but also from coniferous trees Spore Print Pink Microscopic Features Spores broadly ellipsoidal to subspherical, smooth (5-7) x (4-6.5) µm2. Basidia club shaped, 4 spored. Gill edge cystidia flask shaped, spindle shaped, club shaped or cylindrical. Gill face cystidia flask shaped. Stem cystidia cylindrical. Cap cuticle cells filamentous with upright swollen end cells. Edibility Unknown toxicity Notes I was unable to find gill face cystidia in the first collection shown. In all other respects it conforms to the species description. P. plautus probably represents a species complex as collections are quite variable. It could be confused with Pluteus podospileus which also has a scaly stem base. The cap cuticle cells are distinct. 
5 September 2021 South Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. Spores in Congo Red solution viewed with a x100 immersion objective. 5 September 2021 South Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. 
Gill edge cystidia in Congo Red solution viewed with a x40 objective. 5 September 2021 South Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. 
Cap cuticle cells in Congo Red solution viewed with a x40 objective. 5 September 2021 South Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. 
A pale form. 11 September 2010 Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. 
11 September 2010 Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. 
11 September 2010 Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. |