Galerina vittiformis

Galerina vittiformis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Agaricales
Family:	Hymenogastraceae
Genus:	Galerina
Species:	G. vittiformis
Binomial name
Galerina vittiformis (Fr.) Singer (1950)
Synonyms
Agaricus vittiformisFr. (1838)

Galerina vittiformis Mycological characteristics
	Gills on hymenium
	Cap is convex or conical
	Hymenium is adnate
	Stipe is bare
	Spore print is reddish-brown
	Ecology is saprotrophic
	Edibility is unknown

Galerina vittiformis, also called the hairy leg bell, is a species of agaric fungus in the family Hymenogastraceae, and the type species of the genus Galerina .

Description

Galerina vittiformis has a honey-coloured, striped, hygrophanous cap, up to 1 centimetre (1⁄2 in) wide. ^[1] Its shape is bluntly conical becoming broadly convex and even flat with age, often with a prominent umbo. The gills are adnate and tawny to cream coloured, producing a reddish-brown spore print. The stem is up to 5 cm (2 in) long and 2 mm (1⁄16 in) thick. ^[1] The stem is equal and pale yellow to chestnut brown, and is initially slightly downy. It has no veil. The flesh is thin and fragile.

Microscopically, its spores measure 10–12.3 x 5–6.5  μm and egg shaped. Its plage is sharply defined, and the spores have an apical callus. Each basidium has 2 spores, and measures 20–24 x 7–8 μm. They are colorless in KOH. The pleurocystidia and cheilocystidia measure 56–74 x 10–16 μm, and are abundant to scattered. They are thin, and fusoid-ventricose with an acute or rounded tip. They are also colorless in KOH. ^[2]

Similar species

It resembles other members of its genus such as G. hypnorum , G. pumila , and G. semilanceata . ^[1]

Habitat and distribution

It is widely distributed in temperate regions, where it typically grows in moist locations, often among mosses. ^[3] The fungus has been shown to bioaccumulate various heavy metal from contaminated soil. ^{[4] [5]}

In North America, it can generally be found from June to September, or somewhat later on the West Coast where it is more common. ^[1]

References

1. Audubon (2023). Mushrooms of North America. Knopf. p. 650. ISBN   978-0-593-31998-7.
2. Gibson, Ian. "E-Flora BC Atlas Page". linnet.geog.ubc.ca. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
3. Gro G. (2006). "The agaric genera Galerina Earle and Phaeogalera Kühner". In Boertmann D, Knudsen H (eds.). Arctic and Alpine Mycology. Vol. 6. Museum Tusculanum Press. pp. 60–88. ISBN   978-87-635-1277-0.
4. Damodaran D, Balakrishnan RM, Shetty VK (2013). "The uptake mechanism of Cd(II), Cr(VI), Cu(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) by mycelia and fruiting bodies of Galerina vittiformis". BioMed Research International. 2013 149120. doi: 10.1155/2013/149120 . PMC   3881449 . PMID   24455671.
5. Damodaran D, Vidya Shetty K, Raj Mohan B (2014). "Uptake of certain heavy metals from contaminated soil by mushroom—Galerina vittiformis". Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. 104: 414–422. doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2013.10.033. PMID   24655915.