Except as noted, members of the genus Lepista look almost, but not quite like either a Tricholoma or a Clitocybe. That is, cap is fleshy and gills are attached to a fleshy (over 5 mm thick), and stem is central and fibrous (when broken, fibers leave a ragged edge). There is no ring on the stem.
CAP sizes range from 1-4 cm to 3-15 cm with a giant at 10-30 cm. Cap surfaces may be dry or moist but typically not sticky; smooth, sometimes with hairs, not scaly (in PNW species). Cap margins in young fruiting bodies inroll in most species, incurve in a few. Cap colors are white, buff, dark brown, purple or purple tinged. In a few species fresh moist caps change color on drying (hygrophanous).
In species with violet colors and one PNW white species, GILLS are notched (sinuate –Tricholoma habit) at least when young; in most other species gills are squarely attached (adnate – Laccaria habit) or with decurrent tooth; in a few species gills run down the stem (decurrent – Clitocybe habit) at least in age. Gills are thin, typically close or crowded, rarely subdistant, not waxy looking, edges even. In several species gills are divided from the cap by a watery or subcartilaginous line or zone and then gills will separate as a unit from the cap.
STEMS are equal or sometimes tapering either way with the base almost club-shaped or bulbous in a few species. They may be inserted or bound to debris with mycelium (in certain species) or with root-like hairs (rhizoids) in one species.
All species grow on the ground, and most species in clusters (caespitose) or densely gregarious in fairy rings.
The microscopic description states Lepista contains those species of Tricholomataceae with roughened, colored spores and clamp connections on the hyphae of the fruiting body. Cystidia are absent. Spores are ellipsoid, except when noted and then are globose. When we note small warts, the roughness may not be visible under even an oil immersion lens.
Similar genera:
TRICHOLOMA: Although Tricholoma species typically have gills notched at the stem, as do several Lepista species, the spores of Tricholoma are white, never colored, whereas Lepista spores (PNW) are pale buff or pinkish-buff. Tricholoma caps never change color on drying; in several Lepista species color does so change. Young Tricholoma cap margins typically incurve, young Lepista cap margins typically inroll. Tricholoma species do not have purple colors; whitish Tricholomas are grayish; whitish Lepistas are typically brownish or buff tinged.
TRICHOLOMOPSIS: Tricholomopsis species grow on wood or buried wood. Lepista species grow on soil.
CLITOCYBE: Clitocybe species typically have gills running down the stem and inrolled cap margins. Lepista species with such characteristics may not be readily distinguished, except that if gills run down stem, they are nearly always short decurrent. White, buff and pinkish tan colors are common to both genera. In the Pacific Northwest, Lepista species do not have blue or strong gray to blackish colors. Clitocybe species have no purple colors.
Most Lepista species have a growth habit that is clustered, sub-clustered or at least gregarious. Only C. dilatata in genus Clitocybe appears to have a clustered growth habit. In the Pacific Northwest species, Clitocybe has white spores; Lepista pale pinkish buff or pinkish buff spores.
ENTOLOMA: Distinguished primarily by the rose beige to blush spore print.
RHODOCYBE: Spore print and mature gill color may be pink to dirty gray, from very pale to dark. In the Pacific Northwest they may be separated on a species basis. Rhodocybe species are typically very small and have thin cartilaginous stems (Collybia habit). Lepistas typically have a fleshy stem. L. tarda (L. sordida), the primary small PNW Lepista has purple colors, not known to writer to be present in Rhodocybe. On microscopic examination Rhodocybe species have roughened to angular spores, but members of the genus typically separate from Lepista by absence of clamp connections and presence of cystidia.
Most colors are described generically in this key. Buff, a common color in this section, is cumbersome to describe generically. The unmodified term "buff" describes a wide range of more or less grayed and therefore slightly dirty looking, too light to be brown colors in the yellowish-pink, orange to yellowish hues.
The following buff terms are exact color terms:
"Pinkish buff" is a color somewhere between light to moderate yellowish-pink.
"Vinaceous buff" is slightly grayer and of slightly more brownish hue than pinkish buff.
"Pale pinkish buff" is a color very close to pale orange yellow.
Bigelow and Smith classify Lepista as a section of Clitocybe. Many authorities do not accept that analysis. This key shows Clitocybe names because not all species have a Lepista designation.
NOTE (Ian Gibson 2017).
The key is presented as written in 1981. How applicable is it to the species now known as Lepista?
Here is a list of some other Pacific Northwest species have been places in Lepista by other authors. These are not included in Section Verruculosae by Bigelow (1982) and are not part of this key.
In the list immediately above, only Lepista idahoensis had its current name in Lepista in the online Index Fungorum, accessed January 24, 2017. Lepista flaccida and Lepista inversa are synonyms of Paralepista flaccida, and the rest have current names in Clitocybe.
On the other hand, most of the Lepista species in this key (Section Verruculosae) had their current names in Lepista. An exception is Lepista praemagna which had the current name Clitocybe praemagna. Thus this key is still quite applicable to modern Lepista.
1a Cap white to buff and no part other than spores tinted lavender, violet or purple
................................................................................2
1b Cap white, buff or brown with some part bearing purple tints; or cap purple, grayish red or dark brown
................................................................................7
2a Stem 1.5-5.0 cm thick; cap very large 10-30 cm
................................................................................Clitocybe praemagna
CAP 10-30 cm broad, convex becoming flat, edge incurved at first, surface dry, dull, cracked in age, white to cream or light brown in age; flesh thick in central area, white. ODOR and TASTE not distinctive. GILLS squarely attached or somewhat notched, close to subdistant, broad (up to 12 mm), whitish. STEM 3-7 cm long, 1.5-5.0 cm thick, equal or base enlarged, at times with a ridged (marginate) bulb, solid, white, base may be spotted brown. SPORES pinkish-buff, 6-8 x 4-4.5 um. FRUITING gregarious or clustered, often forming arcs or fairy rings in open grasslands or under sagebrush; June to September. EDIBILITY edible.
2b Stem 0.5-3.0 cm thick; cap medium to large 3-15 cm
................................................................................3
3a Odor and taste strong and disagreeable, rancid-mealy; cap flesh thin throughout
................................................................................Clitocybe fasciculata
Cap flat, edge inrolled, flesh thin, white; gills close, readily separable from cap, edges not staining; stem off-center, no mycelium at base; on road banks.
CAP 4-13 cm broad, edge white, central area tinged gray to dingy pink; surface slightly hairy. ODOR evident when crushed. GILLS squarely attached, finally short decurrent, close to subdistant, broad near stem, edges even, faint grayish pink becoming vinaceous buff to light yellow to grayish yellow-brown. STEM 6-12 cm long x 1.0-1.5 cm through at top, enlarged downward with club-shaped bulb; small scales above, solid. SPORES pale lilac gray, 4.5-6 x 3-4 um. FRUITING on roadbanks, always clustered; September-October. EDIBILITY worthless. REMARKS This species closely resembles Clitocybe dilatata and Clitocybe subconnexa.
3b Odor and taste mild; cap flesh thick at least in the central area
................................................................................4
4a Gills very narrow, under 2 mm
................................................................................Clitocybe densifolia
Cap obtuse, then flat, edge inrolled, flesh thick in central area, thin on edge; sometimes clustered.
4b Gills narrow to broad, always more than 2 mm
................................................................................5
5a Cap flesh brittle; stem typically 0.5-l.0 cm thick at cap
................................................................................Clitocybe subconnexa
Cap convex, then flat, edge inrolled then straight, flesh thick in central area, thin on edge; always clustered. Typically smaller than other white to buff species.
5b Cap flesh soft; stem typically 1.0-2.5 cm thick at cap
................................................................................6
6a Cap with marked color change on initial drying; gill edges bruise brown
................................................................................C. irina var. luteospora
Cap convex then flat, edge incurved, flesh thick; gills separable from cap, edges stain brown; may be gregarious or solitary.
CAP 5-12cm, surface moist, opaque at times, pinkish buff or pale pinkish buff fading to off white in age; flesh thick, soft, fragile, pale pinkish buff. GILLS squarely attached to short decurrent, crowded to close, edges even, narrow then broad, white then creamy to pinkish buff. STEM 7-12cm x 1-2 cm at top, with whitish mycelium at base; base enlarged and club-shaped, solid; surface with longitudinal fibers or lines, watery buff near cap color darkening near base in age. SPORES pinkish buff 7-10 x 4-4.5 um, some spores smooth. FRUITING under conifers or aspen; July-August, October. EDIBILITY gastrointestinal poisonings reported, use caution. REMARKS Spores are darker than those of C. irina.
6b Cap color not changing; gill edges not bruising
................................................................................C. irina var. irina
Cap with obtuse knob, edge inrolled becoming flat with a low broad knob; gills not bruising.
7a (1b) Stem thin, up to 0.8 cm; cap small, 1-4 cm
................................................................................11
7b Stem thick, 1.0-3.0 mm; cap medium to large, 3-15 cm
................................................................................8
8a Colors light, purple tints present
................................................................................9
8b Colors dark, purple tints present or absent
................................................................................10
9a Purple tints found in stem only
................................................................................C. saeva
CAP 8-14 cm broad, at first obtuse with incurved edge, then convex to flat, edge lobed or splitting; surface moist, evenly pale pinkish buff, paler old; flesh splits into layers, thick in center, very brittle, white or off-white. ODOR none. TASTE mild. GILLS notched, crowded, narrow (6-7 mm), very thin, in 3-4 tiers, equal, white to a pale grayish yellowish-pink, not darkening old. STEM 5-10 cm long, 1.0-2.0 cm thick at top, equal or base slightly club-shaped, solid; surface grayish-white with purple tinge. SPORES grayish or brownish pink or paler, 4.5-7 x 3-4 um, small warts. FRUITING in the woods or clustered on trash heaps; July-October, or in California, to December. EDIBILITY edible.
9b Cap, gills and sometimes stem with purple tints
................................................................................Clitocybe glaucocana
10a (8b) Fruitbody deep purple fading to dark dingy buff
................................................................................Clitocybe nuda
10b Cap dark brown, fruitbody without purple tints
................................................................................Clitocybe subalpina
CAP 6-12 cm, at first convex with inrolled edge, becoming flat, center occasionally slightly depressed; surface moist, changing color from dark grayish brown to a yellow brown or a tan on initial drying; usually dry in dry weather; flesh thin, brittle, color same as cap or gills moist, whitish faded. ODOR fungoid or absent. TASTE mild or disagreeable. GILLS attached squarely or tooth running down stem evenly forming a sharp line or collar on upper stem, narrow to broad (to 8 mm), crowded or close, grayish yellow brown to brownish pink. STEM 3-15 cm x 1-2 cm thick at top, equal or tapered either way; base taproot-like at times and occasionally with white root-like cords (rhizoids), fibrous, solid or hollow, surface same color as gills. SPORES pale orange yellow to yellowish pink 4.5-5.5 x 2.8-4 um. FRUITING in large clusters on soil along roads in conifer forests; August-September. EDIBILITY unknown. REMARKS has been found only in Mt. Rainer National Park.
11a (7a) Stem colored same as cap; taste mild
................................................................................C. tarda var. tarda
11b Cap colored purplish pink, stem off-white, taste bitter
................................................................................C. tarda var. alcalina
CAP 2-7 cm broad, at first convex, sometimes with slight obtuse knob expanding to finally deeply depressed with edge turned upward, surface hairless, center sometimes scaly from cracking of skin; color changes on initial drying from medium pink or purplish pink to pale orange-yellow or dingy whitish; flesh thin, fragile, off-white to moderate pink. ODOR strong, alkaline. TASTE bitter, lingering. GILLS squarely attached to notched, close to nearly subdistant, medium broad at least near stem, many tiers present, off-white, soon light purplish gray or purplish pink, finally moderate pink (especially when wet). STEM 1.5-5.5 cm long, top 0.4-l.0 cm thick, equal or tapering downward, solid, off-white to dingy brown. SPORES pale yellowish pink to vinaceous buff, 4.5-6 x 3-4 um. FRUITING on lawns or on soil under pine; May, September-November. EDIBILITY worthless.
CLITOCYBE |
LEPISTA |
TRICHOLOMA |
AGARICUS |
RHODOPAXILLUS |
MELANOLEUCA |
OTHER |
OTHER CLITOCYBE |
DENSIFOLIA |
? subaequalis |
densifolius |
|||||
FASCICULATA |
caespitosa |
panaeolum f. caespitosa |
caespitosus |
||||
GLAUCOCANA |
glaucocana |
glaucocana |
nudus v. glaucocanus |
||||
IRINA v. IRINA |
irina |
irinus |
irinus |
irinus |
|||
IRINA v. LUTEOSPORA |
|||||||
NUDA |
nuda |
nudum |
nudus |
nudus |
Gyrophila nuda |
||
PRAEMAGNA |
praemagna |
praemagnum |
praemagna |
||||
SAEVA |
saeva |
personatum |
personatus |
personatus |
rudericola |
||
SUBALPINA |
|||||||
SUBCONNEXA |
? subequalis |
Paxillus lepista |
whetstoneae |
||||
TARDA v. ALCALINA |
|||||||
TARDA v TARDA |
sordida |
nudum v. sordidum |
sordidus |
sordidus |
sordida |
Gyrophila sordida |
tarda v. pallidior |
GENUS AND SPECIES | KEY ENTRIES |
CLITOCYBE (Fr.) Staude | |
C. densifolia (Favre) H.E. Bigelow & A.H. Sm. | 4a |
= Lepista densifolia (Favre) Singer & Clém. | |
C. fasciculata H.E. Bigelow & A.H. Sm. | 3a |
= Lepista caespitosa (Bres.) Singer | |
C. glaucocana (Bres.) H.E. Bigelow & A.H. Sm. | 9b |
= Lepista glaucocana (Bres.) Singer | |
C. irina v. irina (Fr.) H.E. Bigelow & A.H. Sm. | 6b |
= Lepista irina (Fr.) H.E. Bigelow | |
C. irina v. luteospora H.E. Bigelow & A.H. Sm. | 6a |
= Lepista irina (Fr.) H.E. Bigelow var. luteospora | |
C. nuda (Fr.) H.E. Bigelow & A.H. Sm. | 10a |
= Lepista nuda (Bull. ex Fr.) Cooke | |
C. praemagna (Murrill) H.E. Bigelow & A.H. Sm. | 2a |
= Lepista praemagna (Murrill) Singer | |
C. saeva (Fr.) H.E. Bigelow & A.H. Sm. | 9a |
= Lepista saeva (Fr.) Orton | |
C. subalpina H.E. Bigelow & A.H. Sm. | 10b |
= Lepista subalpina (H.E. Bigelow & A.H. Sm.) Harmaja | |
C. subconnexa Murrill | 5a |
= Lepista subconnexa (Murrill) Harmaja | |
C. tarda v. alcalina | 11b |
= Lepista tarda (Peck) Murrill v. alcalina | |
C. tarda v. tarda Peck | 11a |
= Lepista tarda (Peck) Murrill |
- END -