Flora of New Zealand Series

Agaricus ericetorum Fr., Syst. mycol. 1: 165 (1821).

Pileus 5-15(-35) mm wide, plane at first with margin decurved, striate when moist and often somewhat crenate, plicate at times, opaque with age and fading, disc soon shallowly depressed with age, sometimes broadly infundibuliform, surface glabrous, moist but not viscid, sub-hygrophanous, brown when young becoming paler and more yellowish with age and loss of moisture, finally pale yellowish to whitish, disc often remaining dark for some time. Context very thin, pliant, concolorous with pileus. Lamellae moderately decurrent to long decurrent, subdistant or distant, narrow to moderately broad, 1-3 mm, thin, arched, at times forked or intervenose or both, pale yellowish to pale cream, edges even, straight. Stipe 1-2.5(-3) cm tall, 1-2(-3) mm thick at apex, equal or either end slightly enlarged, base subtomentose, white, terete, often curved, solid, fistulose, ± cartilaginous but pliant, surface ± glabrous, base tomentose sometimes pubescent above if deeply embedded in wet moss, brownish at apex, paler below, fading to pale yellowish. Spores 7-9(-10) × 4-6(-7) µm, broadly elliptical. Basidia 23-40 × 5-8.5(-10) µm often 2-spored but also 1-, 3- or 4-spored. Sterigmata long, proliferate. Scattered to gregarious with lichenised association Botrydina vulgaris Bréb.

S: Nelson (St Arnaud Ra., Lewis Pass), Canterbury (Mt Peel, Kirkliston Ra.). On soil, amongst moss in damp places, subalpine or alpine 1000-2000 m.

Cosmopolitan