Britzelmayria multipedata

Britzelmayria multipedata is a species of mushroom producing fungus in the family Psathyrellaceae. It is commonly known as the clustered brittlestem.

Taxonomy
It was first described in 1905 by the American mycologist Charles Horton Peck who classified it as Psathyra multipedata. It was reclassified as Psathyrella multipedata in 1941 by the American mycologistAlexander H. Smith and remained known as such until recently. In 2020 the German mycologists Dieter Wächter & Andreas Melzer reclassified many species in the Psathyrellaceae family based on phylogenetic analysis and placed this species in the newly created genus Britzelmayria.

Many mushroom field guides and websites still refer to this species as Psathyrella multipedata.

Description
Britzelmayria multipedata is a small brittlestem mushroom with white flesh and a brown cap which is known for growing in dense clusters.

Cap: 1-3cm. Starts conical before flattening into a convex cap which may become campanulate or bell shaped with age. The smooth, brown cap becomes paler when dry. Gills: Adnate or adnexed. Crowded. Light grey or brown with white fringes maturing to dark brown. Stem: 7-12cm in height with a thickness of 3-6mm tapering slightly towards the cap. It often grows in a wavy fashion with the base fused together with other members of the cluster. Spore print: Dark purplish brown. Spores: Ellipsoid and smooth with a germ pore. 6.5-10 x 3.5-4 μm. Taste: Indistinct and mild. Smell: Faint and mushroomy.



Habitat and distribution
Britzelmayria multipedata is found on soil amongst grass and in open grassy spaces amongst woodland. It is saprotrophic and grows on buried fallen trees through the late Summer to Autumn. This species is widespread and found occasionally.

Observations of this species appear most common in the UK, West Europe and the East Coast of the United States.