Pluteus exilis
Approximately 15 species in Santa Cruz County.
Pluteus Records from Santa Cruz County:
Pluteus is a very common genus of wood-rotting fungi that produce gilled fruitbodies. Growth on decaying wood, free gills, a pink spore deposit, and lack of a volva distinguish these mushrooms from all other genera.
A fairly diverse genus in California, fruitbodies range from small and brightly colored to medium-sized and strangely textured (granular, wrinkled, fibrillose or all three), to large and boring - and every combination thereof. The free gills/on wood/pink spores mantra is thus useful to keep in mind as you go about learning to recognize the genus. Although some have researched this genus in the west (notably Else Vellinga and Walt Sundberg), many species remain poorly known or undescribed.
Important identification characters include overall coloration, texture of the surfaces, identity of wood substrate, spore size and size/shape of cystidia especially.
* This species may occur in the county but no verifiable collection has been made.