Synonyms: Clitocybe atrobrunnea, Omphalia obscurata, Omphalina obscurata.
Arrhenia obscurata is a small to medium-sized, brownish-grey to grey-brown fungus that grows in clusters or scattered groups on soil, decaying wood, and other organic matter. In East and Central Texas, it typically fruits from winter to early spring, often in association with mosses and liverworts in shaded, moist areas. The cap is 0.5-2 cm in diameter, convex to flat, and wrinkled or veined. The gills are subdistant to distant, and the stipe is slender and hairy. It has been found in various counties, including Bastrop, Brazos, and McLennan, where it inhabits woodland edges, stream banks, and shaded ravines.
Small grey omphalinoid mushrooms on half-burned compacted soil on a trail, probably Arrhenia obscurata, on Stubblefield section of Lone Star hiking trail north from Trailhead No. 6 in Sam Houston National Forest. Texas, December 9, 2023
Small grey omphalinoid mushrooms Arrhenia obscurata on Stubblefield section of Lone Star hiking trail north from Trailhead No. 6 in Sam Houston National Forest. Texas, December 9, 2023
Small grey omphalinoid mushrooms Arrhenia obscurata on black background on Stubblefield section of Lone Star hiking trail north from Trailhead No. 6 in Sam Houston National Forest. Texas, December 9, 2023
Tissues at low magnification of omphalinoid mushrooms Arrhenia obscurata collected in Sam Houston National Forest. Texas, December 9, 2023
Basidia of omphalinoid mushrooms Arrhenia obscurata collected in Sam Houston National Forest. Texas, December 9, 2023
Cystidia(?) of omphalinoid mushrooms Arrhenia obscurata collected in Sam Houston National Forest. Texas, December 9, 2023
Spores of omphalinoid mushrooms Arrhenia obscurata collected in Sam Houston National Forest. Texas, December 9, 2023
Side view of a mushroom Arrhenia obscurata on sandy soil among short moss on a sewage line right-of-way in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, January 4, 2026
Basidia a mushroom Arrhenia obscurata collected in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, January 4, 2026
Arrhenia obscurata mushrooms on sandy soil with short moss on a sewage line right-of-way in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, January 23, 2026
Spores of Arrhenia obscurata mushrooms collected on sandy soil with short moss on a sewage line right-of-way in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, January 23, 2026Observations of the fungus Arrhenia obscurata in East and Central Texas reveal that it grows on half-burned compacted soil on trails. The mushrooms are small and grey with an omphalinoid shape. They were found on the Stubblefield section of the Lone Star hiking trail in Sam Houston National Forest, specifically north from Trailhead No. 6. Under low magnification, the tissues of the mushroom appear as expected for the species. Closer examination reveals characteristic basidia and possible cystidia. The spores of Arrhenia obscurata were also observed, confirming the identity of the fungus. These observations suggest that Arrhenia obscurata can thrive in disturbed areas with compacted soil, such as trails, in East and Central Texas. The specific location and time of observation was December 9, 2023, in Sam Houston National Forest.
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