Wikipedia:Today's featured article/August 14, 2014

Xeromphalina setulipes is a species of Mycenaceae fungus. First collected in 2005, it was described and named in 2010 by Fernando Esteve-Raventós and Gabriel Moreno, and is known only from oak forests in Ciudad Real Province, Spain. The species produces mushrooms with dark reddish-brown caps up to 15 millimetres (0.59 in) across, dark purplish-brown stems up to 45 millimetres (1.8 in) in height and distinctive, arched, brown gills. The mushrooms were found growing directly from the acidic soil of the forest floor, surrounded by plant waste, during November. Morphologically, the dark colour of the gills and stem, lack of a strong taste, and characters of the cystidia (large cells found on the mushrooms) are the most distinguishing characteristics of X. setulipes. These features allow the species to be readily distinguished from other, similar species. Its ecology and habitat are also distinct, but it is unclear whether they can serve as certain identifying characteristics. According to Esteve-Raventós and colleagues, further analysis is required to accurately judge the relationships between the species of Xeromphalina. (Full article...)

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