Fungi > Division Basidiomycota > Class Agaricomycetes > Order Agaricales > Family Agaricaceae.
The Cystolepiota genus has 43 species.
Cystiolepiota sp. are fairly common in Australia with some seen in S. E. Queensland.
The Queensland Government Species search lists Cystolepiota sistrata as the only species here.
The extensive underground mycelium is white.
The stems are up to 3 cm high and the cap 3 cm across.
Thin stems, a few mms across are covered in a white fluffy material that rubs off easily.
Where removed the stem is smooth and pale brown.
The conical then hemispherical cap has prominent scales all over.
Scales, denser in the centre are white but the tips become brown.
The white gills are free of the stem.
Between each pair of gills is a shorter gill or lamellulae. Lamellulae are of different lengths.
Some reach halfway to the end of the main gills while others extend three quarters of the way.
In countries where there are more species some can be very difficult to identify.
Microscopy is essential for this.
J.F.
