Heliocybe sulcata

Heliocybe sulcata (Berk.) Redhead & Ginns

[on watch list for Chicago Region and Midwest]

Name: scruffy scalycap (UK); furrowed lentinus (Lentin sillonné)
Etymology: Epithet = furrowed (parallel grooves). Genus = sun-head.
Fruitbody: Cap small, 1 to 4 cm broad; convex to flat or shallowly depressed; light to darker brown with small cinnamon to darker orange brown scales; margin developing conspicuous furrows (sulcate). Cap margin may become paler than center as cap expands. Gills fairly broad, not crowded, whitish to cream or tan; gill edges toothy (serrate). Stem 1 to 3 cm long; color paler than cap, whitish at apex, with scales becoming darker brown toward base. Flesh solid, tough, white. Spore print is white. Basidiospores 11–16 X 5–7 µm, bean-shaped, smooth, non-amyloid. Clamp connections absent.
Similar species: Neolentinus species lack the conspicuous grooved cap margin, are generally larger, and have clamp connections. Lentinus tigrinus has a depressed cap center and lacks the grooved margin. Heliocybe has tougher flesh than similar looking gilled mushrooms such as Flammulaster, Gymnopilus, and Pholiota.
Ecology: Brown rot of dead wood. Solitary to gregarious. Typically on dry wood in dry conditions, including fence posts and railroad ties. Often on aspen (Populus).
Phenology: The Chicago record was in May. Generally found in the spring in the north; summer and fall in the southwest.
Biogeography: Widespread in United States (including Alaska, Hawaii), Canada, and Mexico. Arizona and Colorado have the most specimens on MyCoPortal. Reported from Guatemala and South Africa.
Chicago Region status: Very rare. There is one photo observation from the north side of Chicago, May 2012, on Mushroom Observer 108587. There are no known collections for Illinois or Indiana.
Specimens examined: None.

Taxon Details and Links

Nomenclature

Heliocybe sulcata (Berk.) Redhead & Ginns, Trans. Mycol. Soc. Japan 26(3): 359 (1985)
≡ Basionym: Lentinus sulcatus Berk., London J. Bot. 4: 301 (1845)
≡ Neolentinus sulcatus (Berk.) F. Rune, Mycol. Res. 98(5): 543 (1994)

Type

Ohio, USA. Cracks of dry, hard, fence rails.

Taxonomy