Sam's Corner
Second Quarter of 2002
Topics
Mycological Wonderments on Ellen Greer's Foray and the other four
Mycological Wonderments on Ellen Greer's Foray and the other four
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I am writing this follow up to the January newsletter to encourage you to take your copy and reread some of the wonderments I explained. I will add some comments on Omphalia lilacifolius and hope you will reread the fascinating dramas of Scorias in Leo's foray.
First, Omphalia lilacifolius is a rare entity - my first in 65 years. My friend Ed Bosman traced the history of this beautiful entity that resembles a yellow green umbilicate mycena with purple decurrent gills. Here is the chronology that Ed "dug up". Peck in his 24th annual report of 1871 reported it as Agaricus (Omphalia) lilacinus. In the 1876 report he changed the species name lilacinus to lilacifolius since he found the species was used in Europe. In 1891 the subgenera of Fries were raised in rank to genera so it became Ophalia. Then Murrill got in the act and placed it in the genus Omphalina. Now Redhead not only put this gorgeous but "abused" species in a new genus, Chromosera, but also changed the epitaph to cyanophylla. Wow! Wow! Wow!
But do not leave this tall tale yet. I called my special friend Emily Johnson, the famous photographer, about another rare species, Epichloe typhina [see photo in Swiss book on ascomycetes] she sent last year. She remarked, "unbelievable", and told me she found Chromosera in 1990 in Pennsylvania. She found it in Smith's book under the genus Mycena.