Fungal Word Friday: Pileipellis

 

The skin of a mushroom is called the cuticle.

 

 Russula mustelina with portion of cuticle peeled
away from the cap.

However; there are more specific names for the skin at a microscopic level in accord to what portion of the fruiting body they are located. Pileipellis is the name attributed to the microscopic level of the cuticle on the mushroom cap.


Image of Psilocybe aztecorum pileipellis (Microscopic make up of the cap cuticle.)

Photo Creds: 

Amadej Trnkoczy (amadej) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Alan Rockefeller [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons