Key to 14 species of Panellus found in China

1. Basidiomata with lamellate hymenophore .........................................................................................................................................2

1. Basidiomata with poroid hymenophore..............................................................................................................................................7

2. Having bright white and bright light brown gloss at lamellar edge ......................................................................................... P. mitis

2. Not having any gloss at lamellar edge................................................................................................................................................3

3. Pileus usually> 20 mm ...................................................................................................................................................... P. opuntine

3. Pileus usually <20 mm ......................................................................................................................................................................4

4. Pileal surface purple-brown................................................................................................................................................................5

4. Pileal surface white, tawny to brown .................................................................................................................................................6

5. Pileal surface with yellow crystal, and smaller basidiospores 5.2–7.3 × 1.7–2.0 µm.......................................................... P. ringens

5. Pileal surface without yellow crystal, and larger basidiospores 8.0–10.5 × 3.5–4.3 µm .......................................... P. violaceofulvus

6. Pileal surface white......................................................................................................................... P. stipticus var. albidotomentosus

6. Pileal surface tawny to brown ....................................................................................................................... P. stipticus var. stipticus

7. Basidiospores mostly> 6 μm in width, subglobose to globose .........................................................................................................8

7. Basidiospores mostly <6 μm in width, ellipsoid to cylindrical.......................................................................................................10

8. Pores 2–4 per mm............................................................................................................................................................. P. palmicola

8. Pores 4–6 per mm...............................................................................................................................................................................9

9. Stipe up to 3 mm in length; cheilocystidia pyriform................................................................................................. P. longistipitatus

9. Stipe up to 1.3 mm in length; cheilocystidia tubular or narrowly clavate..................................................................... P. crassiporus

10. Basidiomata gelatinous, pileus up to 1.5 mm in the largest dimension, basidiospores mostly> 6 μm in length ............................11

10. Basidiomata chalky, basidiospores mostly <6 μm in length ...........................................................................................................12

11. Stipe present ................................................................................................................................................................ P. bambusicola

11. Stipe absent.......................................................................................................................................................................................13

12. Pores 6–7 per mm; pleurocystidia absent..................................................................................................................... P. yunnanensis

12. Pores 8–10 per mm; pleurocystidia present................................................................................................................. P. minutissimus

13. Pleurocystidia and pileocystidia present .............................................................................................................................. P. alpinus

13. Pleurocystidia or pileocystidia absent ................................................................................................................................. P. pusillus