Clitocybe cyathiformis

This is a key to gilled mushrooms, that is, mushrooms having a definite cap with a fertile surface consisting of gills. The fruiting body usually also has a stem, although that may be lateral or absent (usually, then, the mushroom is growing from wood). You can use this key to identify mushrooms that you find.

Fruiting body containing fibers (usually in the stalk)

Spore print "light-colored": white or buff, sometimes tinged with pink or tan. Greenish and (except for the Russulales) yellow spore prints also go here
Stalk fibrous, not fracturing like a piece of chalk

None of the special features distinguishing the other white-spored genera:
Gills not free, as in the Lepiotas and Amanitas
Basidia not extra-long, as in the Hygrophoraceae
Spores smooth, except for Lentinellus

Growing on the ground

Found in woods
Not rooting

Gills attached to decurrent
Coloration usually white to greyish brown, sometimes purple or with purple tones
Never with a ring of any kind

Gills attached to decurrent, crowded
Cap glabrous, small to very large; often aging into a funnel shape
Spore print often tinged with pink or buff
Look for things here if they have non-free gills and don't fit the other taxa

Stalk equal
Fruiting body not all white, or with purple colors

Clitocybe cyathiformis     (Fries) Kummer

Here are the characters that distinguish this species from the others in its group. For its more general characters, see higher up on the page.
If there's just a few words or a microscopic feature here, a more thorough description can be found above.

Diagnosis

• Cap up to 3" across; funnel-shaped in maturity; dark brown, stalk concolorous
  
• Gills light brown or greyish brown to brown
  
• In humus and on rotting logs, in woods and at their edges

Microscropic Characters

• Spores 7-12 x 5-7 µm, amyloid

Comments

As with so many species, I have contradictory info on the color change in the gills: one book says they start light and darken, the other has it the opposite way


 

 

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