Stature types

[adopted from Largent, 1986]

There are seven characters that are utilized in determining the stature type of a mushroom.

They are:

annulus (presence or absence)
volva (presence or absence)
attachment of the gills (free, adnexed, adnate or decurrent)
attachment of the stipe (central, offset, lateral)
consistency of stipe (cartilaginous or fibrous)
shape of pileus, in side view (various from bell shaped to convave, etc.)
type of pileal margin

Free or Finely Adnexed Gills:

Amanitoid Annulus present Gills free (or finely adnexed) Volva present	Vaginatoid Annulus absent Gills free (or finely adnexed) Volva present
Lepiotoid Annulus present Gills free (or finely adnexed) Volva absent	Pluteoid Annulus absent Gills free (or finely adnexed) Volva absent

The type of stipe differentiates the next two groups of four stature
types each. In the past, size was used to differentiate fibrous from
cartilaginous, but it worked only about 75% of the time. Fibrous stalks
were >4mm diameter.

Fibrous, or fleshy fibrous stipes are generally relatively thick.
When broken it will leave a "ragged edge". A cartilaginous stipe
is usually thinner and "breaks with a firm split when bent in two,
similar to cartilage (Largent, 1986)."

Attached Gills and a Central, Fleshy-Fibrous or Brittle Stalk, no volva

Armillaroid Annulus present Gill attachment various	Trichlomatoid Annulus absent Gill attachment sinuate
Clitocyboid Annulus present Gill attachment decurrent or subdecurrent	Naucorioid Annulus absent Gill attachment adnate, adnexed or abruptly adnexed

The next four stature types are usually rather small mushrooms with a
cartilaginous stipe and variously attached gills. None have a volva.
They are differentiated mostly by shape of the pileus, nature of the
pileal margin and gill attachment. Only one has an annulus.

	Anellarioid¹(Galerinoid)	Mycenoid
Annulus	present	absent
Pileus	variable	conic to campanulate
Pileus margin	variable	decureved at first
Gill attachment	variable	variable, not decurrent
	Collybioid	Omphaloid
Annulus	absent	absent
Pileus	convex	plane to umbilicate
Pileus margin	incurved or inrolled at first	variable
Gill attachment	variable, not decurrent	decurrent or subdecurrent

The last stature type is completely artificial. All twelve of the
previous stature types have a (more or less) echocentral attachment of
the stipe.

1. Largent must have changed his mind about using the word Anellariod. That stature type appears as Galerinoid on page 63.