Simocybe centunculus

Pileus
Pileus 1.0-2.5 cm broad, convex, expanding to nearly plane; margin incurved, decurved at maturity; surface when young, minutely pruinose to velvety, olive-brown, the margin paler, translucent striate, hygrophanous, in age opaque, ochre-brown to dull-brown; context thin, olive-brown.

Lamellae
Gills adnate, close, relatively broad, olive-brown, the edges fringed; lamellulae up to three-seried.

Stipe
Stipe 1.5-3.0 cm long, 2.0-4.0 mm thick, equal, hollow, straight or curved; surface when young, pubescent, the ornamentation white over an olivaceous or dull-brown background, nearly glabrous in age, white mycelium at the base; partial veil absent.

Spores
Spores 6.0-8.0 x 4.0-5.0 µm, ellipsoid to ovoid in face view, bean-shaped in side view, smooth, hilar appendage not conspicuous; spore print olive-brown to brown.

Habitat
Solitary to clustered on well-rotted hardwood logs; fruiting early in the mushroom season.

Edibility
Unknown, but too small to be of value.

Comments
Fieldmarks of this small, inconspicuous mushroom include an olive-brown, often velvety appearing, striate-margined cap and hardwood habit. Older specimens tend to have more brownish caps with less obvious striations but usually can be identified by confirming with a hand lens the presence of a "cellular-like" cuticle and fringed gill edges. Superficially resembling Simocybe centunculus is Pluteus flavofuligineus, a somewhat larger wood rotter with a tawny-brown, granulose cap. It is readily distinguished by free gills and a pinkish spore print.