Destructive Pholiota

Description

Destructive Pholiota is a large, late season, wood-rotting mushroom. It occurs in Europe, western Asia, and North America. In the United States it occurs from Vermont to Pennsylvania, west to Washington, northern California, and New Mexico. It is mostly absent from the south, the Great Plains, and the desert southwest. It is found in late summer and fall; alone, in groups, or in clusters; in floodplains and riparian areas. It grows on dead wood of poplar, especially cottonwood and balsam poplar, and occasionally also in willows. It is often seen on recently cut surfaces of logs. It obtains its nutrients from dead wood (saprobic). It rapidly decomposes wood, and this is the feature that gives it one of its common names.

When it first appears, the cap is convex and usually white to creamy buff, sometimes yellowish-brown or orangish-brown. The upper surface is hairless and dry but sticky when moist. It is conspicuously covered with whitish to buff, cottony scales or patches, remnants of the partial veil. More shaggy remnants cling to the margins. As it ages the cap flattens out, becoming broadly convex, and the scales become matted down or wash off. Mature caps can be 2¼″ to 8″ (6 to 20 cm) in diameter but are usually no more than 6¼″ (16 cm) in diameter.

The stalk is robust, solid, hard, white, and abundantly covered with scales. It can be 1½″ to 7″ (4 to 18 cm) long but is usually no more than 4″ (10 cm) in length. It is ⅜″ to 1¼″ (1 to 3 cm) thick at the top, equal or sometimes expanding to 2″ to 2¾″ (5 to 7 cm) thick at the base. It may be attached in the center of the cap or off-center. As it ages it turns brownish, at least near the base. Part of the partial veil remains as a small ring near the top of the stalk. The ring is covered with cottony, hair-like fibers (fibrillose). It curves downward and becomes completely covered with cinnamon brown spores.

The gills are closely spaced. They may be notched at the stalk or broadly attached (adnate). They are white at first, becoming brown to cinnamon-brown at maturity. There are frequent secondary, short gills between the main gills.

The flesh is thick, firm, and white. It does not change color when sliced. It is edible but tough and the taste is disagreeable.

The spore print is cinnamon brown.

Similar Species

Habitat and Hosts

Floodplains and riparian areas

Cottonwood and balsam poplar, and occasionally willow

Ecology

Season

Late summer and fall