| Rickenella | |
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| Rickenella swartzii | |
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| Genus: | Rickenella Raithelh. (1973) |
| Type species | |
| Rickenella fibula (Bull.) Raithelh. (1973) | |
| Species | |
R. alexandri Contents | |
Rickenella is a genus of brightly colored bryophilous (moss inhabiting) agarics in the Hymenochaetales that have an omphalinoid morphology. [1] [2] [3] [4] They inhabit patches of moss that grow on soil, tree trunks and logs in temperate regions of the planet. Phylogenetically related agarics are in the genera Contumyces , Gyroflexus , Loreleia , Cantharellopsis and Blasiphalia , as well as the stipitate-stereoid genera Muscinupta and Cotylidia . [5] and the clavarioid genus, Alloclavaria . [6]
Rickenella is most similar to Contumyces and Blasiphalia, from the former differing by having its cystidia on the cap, stipe, and hymenium solitary and scattered. The hair-like cystidia on the cap and stipe give the small mushrooms a fuzzy appearance when viewed through a magnifying glass or hand lens. [7] [8] This helps to distinguish the genus from genera like Loreleia , which can be orange colored and inhabits similar sites, as well as other brightly pigmented omphalinoid genera. Rickenella does not produce massive clasping, hand-like appressoria on the rhizoids of its host, as does Blasiphalia. Instead, Rickenella produces a small appressorium or no appressoria and penetrates the rhizoids of its moss hosts, growing within the cells. [9] [10] [11]
The monotypic genus Blasiphalia is a recent molecular segregate of Rickenella. [5]
