SPECIES FACT SHEET
Scientific Name: Phaeocollybia gregaria Smith & Trappe
Phylum: Basidiomycota
Order: Agaricales
Family: Continariaceae
Conservation Status:
Global: G1G2
National: N1N2
State: OR S1S2, WA No ranking
Oregon Biodiversity Information Center (ORBIC) List: 1
(Ranks from ORBIC, http://orbic.pdx.edu accessed August 16, 2013)
Type: A.H. Smith 79075 (MICH) October 6, 1970. Cascade Head Experimental
Forest, Tillamook County, Oregon.
Technical Description: Cap 30-60 mm in diam, conic to broadly conic,
becoming rapidly rugulose in some, glabrous, glutinous, wood brown, graybrown. Flesh thin, pliant, cartilaginous. Gills ascending, adnate, (nearly free),
crowded with even edges, narrow, initially, pale gray, becoming dull cinnamon
from spores. Stem aerial portion 80-180 x 8-15 mm, apex glabrous, pale pink
gray, stuffed with pallid-whitish pith. Odor and taste not distinctive
Cheilocystidia abundant, originating deep within the lamellar trama, lengths
developmentally variablele 20-35 x 2-5 µm filamentous to narrowly clavate,
somewhat irregular in outline. Clamp connections absent. Spores 9-10.5 x 56, µmamygdaliform in profile with obscure to monderate apical beak, ovate
pointed in face view, verruculose to verrucose, pale to medium amber in KOH.
Distinguishing Features: Characterized by a cartilaginous stem extending
well-below ground level as a pseudorhiza, a glutinous, gray-brown cap, a pinkgray stem, and a dark red-brown spore print. Phaeocollybia spadicea has a
dark brown to black cap, fibrillose patches on the apical stem, smaller more
coarsely ornamented spores, and tibiiform cheilocystidia. Phaeocollybia piceae
has an orange-red cap, bitter taste, spores lacking an apical beak, and wider
clavate cheilocystidia
Life History
This taxon is a gilled mushroom that emerges in densely gregarious patches
above the soil surface in Oregon coniferous (Picea, Tsuga, Abies) forests. It is
presumed to be ectomycorrhizal with Pinaceae and has been observed
associated with the roots of Picea sitchensis and Pseudotsuga menziesii. It is
dependant on wind for dispersal of spores, but animal, especially arthropod,
dispersal is also possible. It fruits in October and November.
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Range, Distribution, and Abundance: Endemic to Oregon and Northern
California, in coastal rainforests. In Oregon, known from approximately 10
sites. Known from OREGON, Tillamook, Lincoln, Benton, and Polk Counties:
Siuslaw National Forest, Cascade Head Experimental Forest. In northern
CALIFORNIA from Siskiyou County: Klamath National Forest.
FS/BLM lands in Oregon and Washington: Documented from the Siuslaw NF.
Habitat Associations: Ectomycorrhizal, associated with the roots of Tsuga
heterophylla, Picea sitchensis and Pseudotsuga menziesii in coastal rainforests.
Densely gregarious in small areas, not truly cespitose, fruits in October and
November. Elevation range: 486-3628 ft.
Threats: Threats to ectomycorrhizal fungi include disturbances that damage
mycelium and host, such as severe fire, removal of host plants and
consequential loss of canopy cover, loss of large woody debris and soil
compaction.
Conservation Considerations: Revisit known sites and localities to confirm
persistence and extent of populations. Buffer known sites from management
activities. When conducting vegetation management activities in area with good
habitat potential, consider leaving scattered and clumped host trees and ample
large woody debris, while minimizing soil compaction and severity of prescribed
fires, avoid broadcast burning and pile burning in prime habitat.
Other pertinent information (includes references to Survey Protocols,
etc): The survey protocol for fungi is located on the ISSSSP website:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/sfpnw/issssp/documents/inventories/inv-sp-fuver1-2008-12.pdf.
The survey protocol for Survey and Manage fungi is located on the Survey and
Manage website: http://www.blm.gov/or/plans/surveyandmanage/protocols/
Prepared by: Jenifer Ferriel, Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa Whitman
National Forests
Date: April 2013
Edited by: Rob Huff, BLM/FS Portland, Oregon
Date: February 2014
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ATTACHMENTS:
(1)
References
(2)
Map of Species Distribution
(3)
Photographs of Species
ATTACHMENT 1:
References
Aurora, David. 1986. Mushrooms Demystified. Ten Speed Press. Berkeley, CA.
Castellano, Michael A. and Thomas O’Dell. Management Recommendations for
Survey and Manage Fungi, V. 2.0. 1997.
Castellano, Michael A.; Smith, Jane E.; O’Dell, Thom; Cázares, Efrén; Nugent,
Susan. 1999. Handbook to strategy 1 fungal taxa from the Northwest Forest
Plan. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-476. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 195 p.
Dewey, R. and J. Ferriel. 2013. Habitat Summary for Sensitive Fungi Species.
Unpublished. Available from the ISSSSP Fungi Working Group.
Ferriel, Jenifer and Katie Grenier. 2008. Annotated Bibliography of
Information Potentially Pertaining to Management of Rare Fungi on the Special
Status Species List for California, Oregon and Washington. R6 USFS and
OR/WA BLM Interagency Special Status/Sensitive Species Program (ISSSSP).
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/sfpnw/issssp/planning-tools/
Interagency Sensitive and Special Status Species List, December 1, 2011
available at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/sfpnw/issssp/agency-policy/
Norvell, Lorelei L. and Ronald L. Exeter. Phaeocollybia of Pacific Northwest
North America. 2008.
Norvell, L.L. 1998. PhD Dissertation: The Biology and Taxonomy of Pacific
Northwest species of Phaeocollybia Heim (Agaricales, Cortinariaceae).
University of Washington.
Smith, A.H. and J.M. Trappe 1972. The Higher Fungi Of Oregon’s Cascade
Head Experimental Forest And Vicinity I. The Genus Phaeocollybia (Agaricales)
And Notes And Descriptions Of Other Species In The Agaricales. Mycologica
64: 114.
Trudell, Steve and Joe Ammirati. 2009. Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest.
Timber Press, Portland, OR.
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ATTACHMENT 2: Map of Species Distribution in OR/WA
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ATTACHMENT 3:
Photographs of Species.
Figure 1. Phaeocollybia gregaria Photo courtesy of E. Butler
Figure 2. Phaeocollybia gregaria Photo courtesy of Ron Exeter
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