Clustered Brittlestem

Britzelmayria multipedata, the clustered brittlestem, is a saprotrophic basidiomycete fungus in the family Psathyrellaceae. The genus Britzelmayria was established to accommodate species previously placed in Psathyrella with distinctive microscopic and macroscopic features. As its name suggests, B. multipedata produces clusters of multiple fruiting bodies arising from a common base, typically on buried or surface wood, stumps, and woody debris in deciduous forests. The cap is hygrophanous—changing color depending on moisture content, appearing dark brown when wet and paler buff or tan when dry. Gills are dark brown, attached, and crowded. The stem is brittle and fragile, characteristic of the brittlestem group. This species is distributed across Europe, where it fruits from late summer through autumn in broadleaf woodland, parks, and gardens. Britzelmayria multipedata is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. The Psathyrellaceae family contains numerous species that play important ecological roles as decomposers of woody material and organic litter in forest and urban ecosystems.