Pure Heimonophyllum (Cheimonophyllum candidissimum)
Systematics:
- Department: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
- Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
- Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
- Subclass: Agaricomycetidae
- Order: Agaricales (Agaric or Lamellar)
- Family: Cyphellaceae (Cyphellaceae)
- Genus: Cheimonophyllum (Heimonophyllum)
- Species: Cheimonophyllum candidissimum (Heimonophyllum purest)
Synonyms:
- Agaricus candidissimus
- Pleurotus candidissimus
- Dendrosarcus candidissimus
- Geopetalum candidissimum
- Pleurotellus candidissimus
- Nothopanus candidissimus
- Geopetalum oregonense
Description
The cap is 2-18 mm in diameter, convex, plano-convex, from cypherloid to fan-shaped, with lateral attachment to the substrate, straight edge or curved downward, pure white, surface dry, smooth, possibly slightly pubescent at attachment to the substrate. There is no private cover.
The pulp is thin, white.
The smell is not pronounced, the taste is mealy.
Plates are from whitish to ivory, in dry mushrooms cream, from medium frequency to moderately rare, emanating from the point of attachment to the substrate. Shortened plates are present.
The leg is rudimentary or absent.
Spore powder: white. Spores: 5.5–7.0 × 5.0–6.5 μm, Q = 1.00–1.20, thin-walled, spherical or nearly spherical, with a well-defined apiculus, hyaline in water and KOH, non-amyloid, containing well-visible granules, rarely merging into a single drop.
Habitat
Cosmopolitan. It inhabits from August to the end of the mushroom season, on dead deciduous wood, in the middle zone of the Russian Federation – mainly on aspen.
Similar species
Various white crepidots – differ in less bright, pure white color, dirty and darkish color of the plates, dark spore powder.
Edibility
Unknown.
References. “On Cheimonophyllum candidissimum from Greece with notes on its implied aphyllophoroid ancestry”, P. Delivorias & Z. Gonou-Zagou, MYCOTAXON Vol. 104, pp. 1–8, April – June 2008
