Hypholoma

Notes

Spore print purple-brown. Medium-sized mushrooms growing in clusters on fallen wood. Cap smooth, convex to bell-shaped, with small central peak in H. acutum, usually with scale-like veil remnants around the edge of the cap. Gills with a greenish tinge, attached to stalk. Gills covered by veil when young, but when mature the veil remnants are whispy against the stalk, not forming a proper ring.
The indigenous species H. brunneum (dark brown cap with conspicuous, paler veil remnants), H. fasciculare (yellow-brown to orange-brown cap), and H. acutum (brown cap with small central peak) are all common in New Zealand forests. This genus is sometimes referred to as Naematoloma.
Pholiota species have a similar habit, growing in clusters on fallen wood, but are generally more robust, the cap is often gelatinous, and the spore print is a cinnamon brown rather than purple-brown colour. The small, peaked cap of H. acutum has a similar form to some Galerina species, but Galerina has a rusty-brown spore print.

 

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NZFungi Entry

Hypholoma brunneum

This species is found also in Australia.