Pholiota peleae Horak & Desjardin

Holotypus: Hawaii, Kahaualea, 13 Jan. 1992, D. E. Desjardin 5504 (SFSU).
Isotypus: ZT 5213; BISH.
Etymology. peleae = named in honor of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess.
Pileus (9-)12-40 mm diam, convex, obtusely conic, convex-umbonate or campanulate when young, soon expanding to broadly convex-umbonate or broadly campanulate, in age becoming plano-convex to nearly plane, typically with a distinct obtuse umbo that is often surrounded by a shallow depression, rarely lacking the umbo; margin incurved when young, becoming decurved to horizontal in age, even, entire, smooth (nonstriate); surface glutinous when wet, viscid to subviscid in drier conditions, with appressed squamules common on the disc, scattered elsewhere and embedded in the viscidity; margin with a few scattered buff-colored flaky veil fibrils adhering to the viscidity; when young disc and squamules dark reddish brown (8F5-7), reddish brown (8E5-8) or brown (7E5-8), with margin ranging from reddish brown (8E5-8) to brown (7E6-8) or light brown (6-7D5-7), in age disc and squamules typically remaining reddish brown or fading slightly, elsewhere in age fading to brownish orange (6C5-6; "ochraceous tawny"), brownish yellow (5C-D5-7; "clay color"), or greyish yellow (4B5). Context thick over the stipe (<3 mm), thin on the margin (<1 mm), soft, watery-yellow to pale yellowish buff. Odor and taste not distinctive. Lamellae adnate, sinuate or arcuate, horizontal, close to subdistant with 3-4 series of lamellulae, typically convex, sometimes straight or concave in age, broad (<4 mm), at first cream (4A3) or greyish yellow (4B3-4) soon becoming brownish grey (6C3), pale yellowish brown (5C-D4-5) or light brown (6-7D4-6), in age finally brown (6-7E4-7) or reddish brown (8E5-7). Stipe (10-)15-30(-35) X 2-3(-4.5) mm, solitary, central or slightly eccentric, round in cross-section, ± equal or with flared apex and enlarged base, seldom subbulbous, curved, solid when young, becoming hollow in age, dull, dry, pubescent to furfuraceous overall when young, in age apex silky to fibrillose and base densely strigose to tomentose; ornamentation white to buff; apex pale yellowish white to cream (4A2-3) and base white when young, in age apex remaining yellowish white or becoming pale yellowish brown (5C4-5), with base becoming greyish yellow (4B5), pale yellowish brown (5C4-5), brownish orange (6C4-6; "ochraceous tawny"), light brown (6D4-7; "hazel") or brown (6E6-7); context watery-concolorous; with coarse (1 mm diam), white, branched, cord-like rhizomorphs associated with basidiomata.
Basidiospores (7.5-)8.0-9.5 X (4.0-)4.5-5.7 µm [range of means = 8.3-8.6 X 5.2-5.3 µm, mean of means = 8.4 ± 0.1 X 5.2 ± 0.1 µm, Q = 1.5-1.8, range of Q means = 1.6-1.7, mean of Q means = 1.62 ± 0.02, n = 25 spores per 5 specimens], ellipsoid, often with a flattened suprahilar region, brown (6E4 -"snuff brown" to 6E6-8) in deposit, smooth, inamyloid, thick walled (0.4-0.6 µm); apical pore present but indistinct. Basidia 22.5-27.5 X 7.0-8.3 µm, clavate, 4-spored, clamped, hyaline or sometimes with golden contents. Basidioles clavate. Hymenial chrysocystidia common on lamellar sides and edges, projecting well beyond the basidia, 40-64( 68) X (8-)10-20 µm (cheilocystidia often in the narrower part of the range), narrowly utriform, utriform or lageniform, pedicellate; apex broadly obtuse, sometimes subcapitate; neck and apex 6.5-10.0(-11.5) µm diam; walls thin, hyaline; contents ranging from hyaline and homogeneous, to yellowish orange or orange and globular-resinous; apex sometimes capped with an orange, globular-resinous exudate. Pileipellis an ixocutis; hyphae 3.0-7.5 µm diam, repent, loosely interwoven, cylindric, embedded in a gelatinous matrix, heavily pigment-incrusted; incrustations annular to helical, dark brownish orange; walls thin, hyaline to yellow or pale orange. Tramal hyphae subparallel, 4-13 µm diam, cylindrical or slightly inflated, smooth or weakly roughened, nongelatinous; walls thin, yellow. Subhymenium nongelatinous. Stipe tissue monomitic; cortical and medullary hyphae undifferentiated, 2-8 mm diam, parallel, cylindric, smooth or weakly roughened in cortical tissue, nongelatinous, thin-walled, hyaline to pale yellow. Stipitipellis a cutis of loosely interwoven hyphae overlaying cortical tissue; hyphae 2-9 mm diam, cylindric, nongelatinous, with granular, annular or helical pigment incrustations; walls and incrustations hyaline to pale orange; terminal cells undifferentiated from subtending hyphae (i.e., caulocystidia absent). Partial veil composed of loosely interwoven hyphae 1.5-5.0 µm diam, similar to stipitipellis hyphae but walls and incrustations hyaline. Clamp connections common in all tissues.
Habit, habitat and distribution. Scattered to gregarious on bryophyte-covered (often Rhizogonium sp.) bark of living or dead ohi`a (Metrosideros polymorpha; Myrtaceae) or trunks of the tree fern hapu`u (Cibotium glaucum; Dicksoniaceae), seldom on wood of kopiko (Psychotria sp.; Rubiaceae) or kolea (Myrsine sp.; Myrsinaceae) in Montane Wet Ohi`a Forest. Basidiomata formed throughout the year. Hawai`i, Kaua`i, Maui, Moloka`i.
Specimens Examined. U.S.A. HAWAII: Hawai`i, Kahaualea, Natural Area Reserve System, 27 May 1993, DED 5723; same location, 17 Nov. 1992, DEH 516; Hawai`i, Saddle Rd. at 10.5 mi kipuka, 20 Dec. 1992, DEH 518; same location, 8 Jun. 1994, DEH 470; Hawai`i, Saddle Rd. at 18.5 mi kipuka, 26 May 1993, DED 5721; same location, 4 Sep. 1992, DEH 517; Hawai`i, Saddle Rd. at 21 mi kipuka, 13 Jan. 1992, DED 5504 (HOLOTYPE, SFSU; ISOTYPE, ZT 5213, BISH); same location, 2 Dec. 1990, DEH 12.2.90.1. Kaua`i, Alaka`i Wilderness Preserve, Mohihi-Wai`alae Trail, between N22°ree; 07.204', W159°ree; 36.229' and N22°ree; 06.860', W159°ree; 35.034', ca 1350-1450 m, 6 Jan. 1995, DED 6186; Kaua`i, Koke`e State Park, Kahuamaa Flat, Kaluapuhi Trail, begins at N22°ree; 08.479', W159°ree; 38.734', ends at N22°ree; 09.067', W159°ree; 38.565', 5 Jan. 1995, coll. by D. E. Desjardin and Don Hemmes, DED 6165; Kaua`i, Na Pali-Kona Forest Reserve, Alaka`i Swamp, Alaka`i Swamp Trail, N22°ree; 08' 51.5", W159°ree; 37' 52.5", 1280 m, 6 Jan. 1994, DED 5990. Maui, West Maui Mts., Pu`u Kukui, Kapaloa Ridge, 900-1764 m, 17 Jan. 1994, DED 6083. Moloka`i, Kamakou Forest Preserve, N21°ree; 07' 27.0", W156°ree; 55' 05.1", 1220 m, 11 Jan. 1994, DED 6041; Moloka`i, Kamakou Forest Preserve, Hanalilolilo trail, N21°ree; 07.601', W156°ree; 54.917', 9 Jan. 1995, ca 1200 m, DED 6206.
Commentary. Pholiota peleae is characterized by the following features: broadly campanulate, viscid pileus that is reddish brown on the disc and brownish yellow to greyish yellow on the margin, with scattered squamules embedded in the viscidity and veil fibrils adherent to the surface; cylindric, narrow (2-3 mm), curved, furfuraceous, pale yellow stipe with numerous coarse white rhizomorphs; ellipsoid, nontruncate, thick-walled basidiospores with mean measurements 8.4 X 5.2 µm; prominent, utriform to lageniform hymenial chrysocystidia 40-64 X 10-20 µm; lack of caulocystidia; and habit on moss covered branches of ohi`a in montane native forests. In combination, these features indicate placement in subgen. Flammuloides A. H. Smith & Hesler, sect. Spumosae A. H. Smith & Hesler, stirps Scamba (sensu A. H. Smith & Hesler, 1968) where it is closely allied with several north temperate species, viz., P. pulchella A. H. Smith & Hesler, P. totteni (Murr.) A. H. Smith & Hesler, and P. scamba (Fr.: Fr.) Moser. Pholiota pulchella differs in developing olive to green tones throughout basidiomata, in forming shorter and broader basidiospores (6.5-8.5 X 5.0-7.0 µm), acute hymenial cystidia, distinct caulocystidia, and growth on conifers in the Pacific Northwest (fide Smith & Hesler, 1968). Pholiota totteni differs in lacking squamules and yellowish tones on the pileus, in forming thinner-walled basidiospores (<0.25 µm), different shaped hymenial cystidia that are usually wavy in outline, and in growth on soil under pines (fide Smith & Hesler, 1968). Pholiota scamba differs in forming thinner-walled basidiospores (<0.25 µm), hymenial cystidia about half the size of those of P. peleae (25-40 X 8 15 µm), a well-developed gelatinous subhymenium, and growth associated with conifers.
Pholiota peleae is quite common in Montane Wet Forests dominated by ohi`a and can be expected on all islands where this forest type remains. The species is considered by us to represent a native, possibly endemic, species. This is the first published report of the genus Pholiota from the Hawaiian Islands. In an unpublished masters thesis, Doyle (1985) reported P. peleae as Pholiota sp.

Doyle, M. F. 1985. A floristic survey of the fleshy fungi from the Hawaiian Islands with

notes on common marasmioid fungi from southern Illinois. Unpublished M. A.
thesis, Department of Botany, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois.
115 pp.
Smith, A. H., and L. R. Hesler. 1968. The North American species of Pholiota. Lubrecht &
Cramer, Monticello, New York. 402 pp.

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