Inocybe

Taxonomy

The genus was first described as Agaricus tribe Inocybe by Swedish scholar Elias Magnus Fries in volume 1 of his work, Systema mycologicum (1821), and verified in the volume 2 of his book Monographia Hymenomycetum Sueciae in 1863. All other renaming attempts are accepted synonymous.

Although originally placed in the family Cortinariaceae (later shown to be polyphyletic), phylogenetic analyses suggests that the genus is better placed as the type genus of the family Inocybaceae.

Sections or subgenera

Source:

Two supersections are informally recognized: Cortinate supersection: The stipe is only pruinose at the apex or the upper half. The stipe base is (generally) not bulbous and a remnant of a cortina is present in the margin of the young cap. Marginate supersection: The stipe are entirely pruinose and has a bulbose base as general.

Several genera are recognized within the family Inocybaceae:

Inocybe

This subgenus has pleurocystidia, usually thick-walled and in the apex has crystals. The basidiospores are smooth or angular-nodulose. The basidia is not necropigmented (basidia that become ochraceous and collapse). The hilar appendice is conspicuous. This subgenera is cosmopolitan and frequent in temperate ecosystems.

Auritella

This subgenus has no pleurocystidia and has necropigmented basidia. The spores are smooth and the hilar appendix is inconspicuous. Large cheilocystidia (>50 um). This is known from tropical Africa, Tropical, India and temperate Australia.

Inosperma

The fruiting bodies of this subgenus usually have a distinct odor (fruity, honey-like, fishy). The pileus is radially rimose ("Rimosae") or can be squamulose to squarrose ("Cervicolores"). The lamella has no pleurocystidia, but has cheilocystidia. Basidia necropigmented or not. The spores are smooth. In temperate areas. Wide distribution.

Mallocybe

The cap is usually woolly-squamulose, the cap surface is conspicuously darkening with alkali. The lamella broadly adnate to subdecurrent. The stipe is shorter and has not pleurocystidia. The basidia are necropigmented and there are also cheilocystidia as terminal elements. Spores smooth. Wide distribution

Nothocybe

The lamellae have no pleurocystidia but there are cheilocystidia. Spores smooth. Known from tropical India.

Pseudosperma

Fruitbodies have indistinct, spermatic or green corn odor. The pileus is radially rimose or rimulose, never squarrulose and rarely squamulose. Pleurocystidia are absent and cheilocystida are present. Spores smooth. Wide distribution.

Tubariomyces

Small fruiting bodies with tubarioid or omphalinoid habit. Decurrent lamellae and cheilocystidia present. Spores smooth. Known from mediterranean and tropical Africa.

Sections based in morphology

The genus Inocybe is very species-rich. The genus is divided according to Bon (2005) into three subgenera with sections:

• Subgenus: Inosperma (now a separate genus) - without crystal-bearing cystidia
  • Section: Depauperatae: wool-peeling surface
    • Inocybe dulcamara
  • Section: Cervicolores: cap with wool-peeling cuticle, strong aroma (sperm like)
    • Inocybe bongardii
  • Section: Rimosae: cap always radially fibrous and cracked
    • Inocybe rimosa
    • Inocybe erubescens
• Subgenus: Inocibium - with thick-walled, crystal-bearing pleurocystidia.
  • Section: Lactiferae: red or even greenish, with an extreme odor
    • Inocybe piriodora
    • Inocybe pudica
  • Section: Lilacinae: cap lilac, wool-peel surface, and scaly. Common.
    • Inocybe oscura
    • Inocybe hystrix
    • Inocybe griseolilacin
  • Section: Lacerae: non- rimose stipe, no liliac shades.
    • Inocybe lacera
  • Section: Tardae: stipe only bumpy at the top
    • Inocybe geophylla
    • Inocybe flocculosa
    • Inocybe virgatula
  • Section: Splendentes: stipe rimed completely or two-thirds.
    • Inocybe hirtella
• Subgenus: Clypeus - spores tuberculate or star-shaped
  • Section: Cortinatae: stipe thin or bumped to the top
    • Inocybe lanuginosa
  • Section: Petiginosae :full bumpy stipe without basl bulb
    • Inocybe fibrosa
  • Section: Marginatae: stipe pruinose with basal bulb. Crimping
    • Inocybe asterospora

Species

It is estimated that there are about 1,050 species within Inocybe. Representatives of the genus include:

• Inocybe aeruginascens (psychoactive)
• Inocybe coelestium (psychoactive)
• Inocybe corydalina var. corydalina Quél. (psychoactive)
• Inocybe corydalina var. erinaceomorpha (psychoactive)
• Inocybe geophylla (toxic)
• Inocybe haemacta (psychoactive)
• Inocybe hystrix
• Inocybe lacera
• Inocybe tricolor (psychoactive)

Etymology

The name Inocybe means "fibrous hat". It is taken from the Greek words ἴς (in the genitive ἴνος, meaning "muscle, nerve, fiber, strength, vigor") and κύβη ("head").