Leucocoprinus birnbaumii (Corda) Singer, Sydowia 15(1-6): 67 (1962) [1961]

Fruiting body small to medium. Pileus 2.5-5.5 cm across, sulphur yellow in colour, oval to egg-shaped at first when fruiting body is young, becoming broadly conical to broadly convex, bell-shaped, with loosely scattered, floccose squamules, the margin lined or grooved nearly to the centre at maturity, bright to light yellow. Lamellae free, crowded with frequent short-gills, pale yellow to yellow. Stipe 3-8 cm long, 2-5 mm thick, cylindrical, hollow, over all equal above a slightly swollen base, volva absent, sulphur yellow in colour, dry,  powdery, with a fragile, bracelet-like, yellow annulus that sometimes disappears, mycelium pale yellow. Annulus membranous, collar-like, somewhat evanescent, concolorous to stipe, attached to the upper part of the stipe. Basidiospores 8-12 x 5-7 µm, ellipsoid, with a pore at one end, smooth, thick-walled, hyaline in KOH, dextrinoid. Spore print white. Basidia 22.8–36.4 × 7.2–12.4 µm, clavate, hyaline, thin walled with four sterigmata; Basidioles inflated. Cheilocystidia 42.6-51.4 x 12-15 µm; ventricose, rostrate, smooth, thin-walled, hyaline. Pleurocystidia not observed. Pileipellis a cutis of elements 6-10 µm wide, cylindric with rounded apices. Floccose material on cap surface composed of inflated, sub-globose to pyriform elements 15-25 µm across.

Specimens examined

India, Maharashtra, Kolhapur, Shahuwadi, Chandoli dam, (16°57ʹ32ʺN-73°50ʹ43ʺE), on ground, in pair, 06.19.2020, Bornak, S. I. (Y20V4C1); Karvir, Rajaram College Campus, (16°41ʹ10ʺN-74°15ʹ25ʺE), on soil, in the group of 3, 24.07.2023, Bornak, S. I. (Y23V3C1);

Remarks

Features characteristic to L. birnbaumii are hemispherical to parabolic pileus, sulphur yellow colour, sulcate striate pileus, covered by floccose squamules of the same colour, free lamellae and elongated, yellow stipe with bulbous base (Dutta, et al., 2011). The species has been previously reported from Maharashtra, Pune, Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus by Senthilarasu (2014). This is a first report from the study area.

References:

Dutta, A.K., Pradhan, P., Giri, S., et al. (2011). Leucocoprinus birnbaumii (Corda) Singer: An addition to macrofungal flora of West Bengal, India. Journal of Mycology and Plant Pathology, 41(2):316- 318.

Senthilarasu, G. (2014). Diversity of agarics (gilled mushrooms) of Maharashtra, India. Current Research in Environmental & Applied Mycology, 4(1), 58–78, Doi 10.5943/cream/4/1/5