© Buck McAdoo

Back to Main Menu

Danny’s DNA Discoveries – Cyclocybe of the PNW
by Danny Miller

As mentioned on the Agrocybe page, one species stood out as not being farinaceus, and genetic studies have shown it deserves its own genus. This genus also has a cellular cap cuticle. It is somewhat close to the Tubariaceae, but perhaps not close enough, so it may get its own familiy.

Genetic studies showed we have several species in this genus. They are found in or near forests in the fall, with no distinctive odor or taste and a pretty hefty ring on the stem. The cap is somewhat dark brown. The copious ring is probably its most distinctive feature.

Pholiota subnigra WA probably refers to this genus, so it is likely that one of these species will get the name Cyclocybe subnigra.

abundant common uncommon rare - colour codes match my Pictorial Key and are my opinions and probably reflect my bias of living in W WA. Rare species may be locally common in certain places at certain times.

Cyclocybe 'erebia PNW01' - this species matches one EU type area sequence, but not several others. It's possible it's the real thing, but not very likely at this point.

Cyclocybe IN01 - has sequences about 4% different.

Cyclocybe PNW02 - about 1% different from PNW01.

Yi-Min has discovered one possible way to tell them apart, at least somewhat. The real Cyclocybe erebia, and our candidate for the real thing, has a number of very snouty spores (see photo). IN01 does not. Neither does PNW02, and in fact those spores may be more bean-shaped in general than IN01. A recent collection was correctly identified as IN01 due to the spores not having a snout, and not being as irregularly shaped as shown for PNW02, so perhaps the spore shape can determine the species. Pholiota subnigra was described with spores "irregularly ellipsoid, pointed at the base" but that could describe any of them.

Cyclocybe 'erebia PNW01' © Yi-Min Wang,     C. IN01 and PNW02 © Buck McAdoo.

Cyclocybe 'erebia PNW01' (snouty spores) © Yi-Min Wang,     C. IN01 (no snouts) © Yi-Min Wang,     C. PNW02 (no snouts, more bean shaped?) © Buck McAdoo