One of the first species found during our 2000 visit to Ouagadougou was a 4-6 cm broad agaric with beautifully lavender gills. It was creame-spored and reminded somewhat of a Lepista, but lacking the typical sweet scent of this genus. The microscope revealed hyalin, ellipsoid spores with large warts - a spore design very rare in European agaricales. A search in Singers The Agaricales lead to the genus Asproinocybe with 4 species.

Our specimens grew on the soil in the parks of Ouagadougou, where it seems fairly common during august. We do not know wether the species of Asporinocybe are edible. Neither do we know their systematic affinity.

 

Asproinocybe russuloides, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (© JHP)

 

 

The one striking character in Asproinocybe is the strongly ornamented spores, resembling those of the genus Inocybe subg. Inocybe or members of the Thelephoraceae.

 

Asproinocybe russuloides, spores in SEM (© Anni Sloth)

 

Asproinocybe russuloides, spore on sterigma in SEM (© Anni Sloth)

 

 

Asproinocybe russuloides, closeup of spore in SEM (© Anni Sloth)

 

 

 

Further reading:

Guzmán, G.; Montoya, L.; Bandala, V.M. (1990). Observations on the genera Asproinocybe and Tricholosporum, and description of a new species of Tricholosporum (Agaricales, Tricholomataceae). Mycotaxon 38: 485-495.