Marasmius quercophilus Pouzar
Ceska Mykol. 36: 1. 1982.

Common Name: none

• Pileus

  Cap 2-5 mm broad, convex, broadly so to plane in age, occasionally with the disc depressed; margin decurved, sometimes becoming plane, often sulcate; surface minutely pruinose (use hand lens), striate wrinkled to two-thirds the distance from the margin to the disc; color light-brown at the disc, pallid to cream-buff at the margin; context very thin, pallid; odor mild, taste: untried.

• Lamellae

  Gills adnexed, subdistant, moderately broad, whitish, lamellulae 1-2 seried.

• Stipe

  Stipe 1-2.5 cm long, less than 1 mm thick, round, hair-like, equal, sometimes flexuous; surface at apex pallid to pale vinaceous-brown, sparsely pruinose, elsewhere glabrous, reddish-brown to dark-brown, instititious on leafy substrate, scattered rhizomorphs near base.

• Spores

  Spores 7.5-9.0 x 3-4.5 µm, ellipsoid to almond-shaped, smooth, nonamyloid, hyaline in KOH; spore print not seen.

• Habitat

  Solitary to gregarious on rotting hardwood leaves, notably species of oak (Quercus) and tanbark oak, (Lithocarpus densiflora); fruiting shortly after the fall rains.

• Edibility

  Unknown; too small to have culinary value.

• Comments

  Marasmius quercophilus fruits on oak and tanbark leaves. Often up to a dozen fruiting bodies of this Lilliputan species may occupy the same leaf. It's distinguishing macroscopic characters are a pale, striate-wrinkled, minutely pruinose cap with a brownish disc, distant gills, a mostly dark-brown polished, hair-like stipe, and a lack of distinctive odor. Like many Marasmius species, it is capable of rehydrating to its original size and shape after drying.

• References

  Desjardin, Dennis E. (1987). The Agaricales (Gilled Fungi) of California. 7. Tricholomataceae I. Marasmioid Fungi. Mad River Press: Eureka, CA. 100 p.
  Desjardin, Dennis E. (1987). New and Noteworthy Marasmioid Fungi from California. Mycologia 79: 123-134.

• Other Descriptions and Photos
  • Boleslaw Kuznik: Marasmius quercophilus (CP)
  • Boleslaw Kuznik: Marasmius quercophilus (CP)
  • Michael Wood: Marasmius quercophilus (CP) -- these are small!
  • Michael Wood: Marasmius quercophilus (CP)
  • Michael Wood: Marasmius quercophilus (CP)
  • Michael Wood: Marasmius quercophilus (CP)
  • Michael Wood: Marasmius quercophilus (CP)
  • Boleslaw Kuznik -- Hunting for Mushrooms: Marasmius quercophilus (CP)
  • Mushroom Observer: Marasmius quercophilus (CP)
  • Jordan: p. 166 (D & CP)
  • Desjardin: p. 52 (D), figs. 62-65 (I)
  
  

  (D=Description; I=Illustration; P=Photo; CP=Color Photo)