Hymenopellis radicata

Hymenopellis radicata

The deep root mushroom or beech rooter, the rooting shank (Hymenopellis radicata (Relhan) R.H. Petersen, 2010) is a mushroom belonging to the Physalacriaceae family.

Systematic –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Funghet Kingdom,
Division Basidiomycota,
Subdivision Agaricomycotina,
Class Agaricomycetes,
Subclass Agaricomycetidae,
Order Agaricales,
Physalacriaceae family,
Genus Hymenopellis,
species H. roots.
The term is basionym:
– Agaricus radicatus Relhan.
The terms are synonymous:
– Agaricus napipes Hook.f.;
– Agaricus napipes Hook.f. ex Berk.;
– Agaricus radicatus Relhan;
– Agaricus radicatus var. brachypus Kalchbr.;
– Agaricus radicatus var. gracilior Fr.;
– Agaricus radicatus var. humilis Fr.;
– Agaricus radicatus var. liber Schumach.;
– Agaricus radicatus var. olivascens Alb. & Schwein.;
– Agaricus radicatus var. vaccinus Alb. & Schwein.;
– Collybia macroura (Scop.) Fr.;
– Collybia napipes (Hook.f. ex Berk.) Sacc.;
– Collybia plexipes var. retigera (Bres.) Quél.;
– Collybia radicans P.Kumm.;
– Collybia radicata (Relhan) Quél.;
– Collybia radicata Konrad & Maubl.;
– Collybia radicata f. albida Wichanský;
– Collybia radicata f. arhiza J.E.Lange;
– Collybia radicata var. brachypus (Kalchbr.) Sacc.;
– Collybia radicata var. gracilis Killerm.;
– Collybia radicata var. retigera (Bres.) Rick;
– Collybia retigera Bres.;
– Gymnopus radicatus (Relhan) Gray;
– Hymenopellis radicata f. marginata (Konrad & Maubl.) R.H.Petersen;
– Hymenopellis radicata var. bispora (Redhead, Ginns & Shoemaker) R.H.Petersen;
– Mucidula radicata (Relhan) Boursier;
– Mucidula radicata f. marginata Konrad & Maubl.;
– Mucidula radicata subsp. marginata Konrad & Maubl., 1931;
– Oudemansiella radicata (Relhan) Singer;
– Oudemansiella radicata f. alba Melik-Khach.;
– Oudemansiella radicata f. aurantiacolutea Melik-Khach.;
– Oudemansiella radicata f. brunnea Melik-Khach.;
– Oudemansiella radicata f. rubescens Melik-Khach.;
– Oudemansiella radicata subsp. marginata (Konrad & Maubl.) Bon & Dennis, 1985;
– Oudemansiella radicata var. alba (Dörfelt) Pegler & T.W.K.Young;
– Oudemansiella radicata var. bispora (Redhead, Ginns & Shoemaker) Zhu L.Yang, G.M.Muell., G.Kost & Rexer;
– Oudemansiella radicata var. grisea Derbsch & Schmitt;
– Oudemansiella radicata var. marginata (Konrad & Maubl.) Bon & Dennis;
– Oudemansiella radicata var. rubescens (Melik-Khach.) Pegler & T.W.K.Young;
– Xerula radicata (Relhan) Dörfelt;
– Xerula radicata f. arrhiza Verbeken & Walleyn;
– Xerula radicata f. marginata (Konrad & Maubl.) R.H.Petersen;
– Xerula radicata subsp. marginata (Konrad & Maubl.);
– Xerula radicata var. alba Dörfelt;
– Xerula radicata var. bispora Redhead, Ginns & Shoemaker;
– Xerula radicata var. marginata (Konrad & Maubl.);
– Xerula radicata var. rubescens (Melik-Khach.) Dörfelt.
The following varieties are recognized within this species:
– Xerula radicata var. gracilis J.E.Lange;
– Xerula radicata var. radicata.

Etymology –
The term Hymenopellis has two terms; from the ancient Greek “hymen”, meaning “membrane”, used in biology to refer to membranous or pellicular structures, and from the Latin-derived term “pellis”, i.e. skin.
The epithet radicata comes from the Latin “radicatus”, from radíco radicare, to put down roots, due to the stem that extends into an appendage penetrating the substrate.

Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Hymenopellis radicata is a mushroom with a wide distribution that grows in summer and even late autumn, on rotting stumps or woody residues of broad-leaved trees, especially beech. It is common, even in particularly dry periods.

Recognition –
Hymenopellis radicata is a mushroom with a cap that grows up to 13 cm. in diameter, which soon becomes completely distended, with a wide and low obtuse umbo. The cuticle is viscous, wrinkled, from almost whitish to light ocher to olive hazel.
The hymenium has spaced, adnate or rounded, ventricular, wide lamellae, interspersed with numerous lamellae of various lengths; the color is white, the thread is entire and is slightly brownish when ripe.
The stem is slender which continues with a long root penetrating the rotting wood for several centimeters, rigid, fibrous, tenacious, full, sometimes twisted; finely flaky surface, fibrillose longitudinally, white at the apex, progressively darkens towards the base, where it presents a color more or less the same as that of the cap.
The flesh is small, soft, watery, fibrous in the stem, white. Weak odor, slightly fruity, sweet taste.
Under the microscope, largely ellipsoidal, elongated-ovoid, smooth, guttulate, 15-18 × 8-10 µm spores are observed. Basidia: cylindrical, clubbed, tetrasporic, with buckle joints, 45-55 × 10-15 µm. Cheilocystidia: clubbed, ventricular, smooth, 60-110 × 12-35 µm. Pleurocystidia: largely clubbed, largely rounded, truncated at the apex, 60-120 × 22-35 µm.

Cultivation –
Hymenopellis radicata is a mushroom without any edible value and not cultivated.

Customs and Traditions –
The genus Hymenopellis was described by mycologist Ron Petersen in 2010. The type species is Hymenopellis radicatus, originally described by British botanist Richard Relhan in 1780 as Agaricus radicatus.
This is a species of no food interest so even the vulgar names are few, however it is known in Italy by the name of “rooted agaric”; in France “rooting collybie”; in Spain “kolibia erroluze”; in England “Deep Root mushroom”, “Rooting agaric”; in Germany “Grubiger Wurzelrübling”, “Schleimiger Wurzelrübling”, “Wurzel”, “Wurzelnder Schleim-rübling”.
The Hymenopellis genus includes species that have a glabrous, slimy cap with a hymenoderm-type cellular structure; rather sparse lamellae, from adnate to subdecurrent, with a waxy consistency; central stem, deeply rooting; whitish flesh. Spores are hyaline under the microscope, white in mass, not amyloid; fusiform or club-shaped pleurocystidia and cheilocystidia; pileipellis type hymenoderma.
It is a very common and widespread species, especially in beech woods (Fagus sylvatica). It is easily recognized by its long taproot stem and its wrinkled and lewd cap when dry, slimy when young. A possible similarity can be had with Hydropus subalpinus (Höhnel) Singer, a rare mushroom, also lignicolous, which has smaller dimensions, the cuticle of the cap is not wrinkled and the umbo is more acute and the stem is not rooting.
Another possible confusion can be had with Oudemansiella longipes (Quélet) Maire, which however has a velvety stem and cap.

Preparation Method –
Hymenopellis radicata is a mushroom with no edible value.

Guido Bissanti

Sources
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Cetto B., 2008. Mushrooms from life, Saturnia, Trento.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora d’Italia, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.

Photo source:
– https://svampe.databasen.org/uploads/2023-10363491_H1S3rFPo2.JPG

Attention: Pharmaceutical applications and food uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not represent in any way a medical prescription; we therefore decline any responsibility for their use for healing, aesthetic or food purposes.