biology

Psathyrella spadicea

Psathyrella spadicea is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Psathyrella spadicea rather than just read about it. In short: Psathyrella spadicea or Homophron spadiceum, commonly known as the chestnut brittlestem, is a species of agaric fungus in the family Psathyrellaceae. Taxonomy The fungus was originally described by German mycologist Jacob Christian Schäffer in 1783 as Agaricus spadiceus.

Key takeaways

Psathyrella spadicea belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Psathyrella spadicea to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Psathyrella spadicea from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Psathyrella spadicea or Homophron spadiceum, commonly known as the chestnut brittlestem, is a species of agaric fungus in the family Psathyrellaceae.

Taxonomy The fungus was originally described by German mycologist Jacob Christian Schäffer in 1783 as Agaricus spadiceus. Rolf Singer transferred it to the genus Psathyrella in 1951, in which it was classified in the section Spadiceae. In 2015 Örstadius & Larsson recreated the genus Homophron (a name used at the sub-genus level since 1883) for a group of psathyrelloid mushrooms with no veil and with light-coloured spores, and P. spadicea was moved to the new genus.

Description The brown cap is up to 7 centimetres (2+3⁄4 in) wide. The tan to brown gills are very close. The stem is up to 8 cm long and 1 cm thick. The spore print is pinkish-brown. Outside of its genus, it can resemble members of Hebeloma.

Habitat and distribution The species can be found near the base of hardwood trees. In North America, it is found in the Pacific Northwest, northern California, and in the east. It is also found in Europe.

Uses This mushroom is edible.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Psathyrella spadicea

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Psathyrella spadicea claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Psathyrella spadicea before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Psathyrella spadicea ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Psathyrella spadicea

In research: Psathyrella spadicea appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Psathyrella spadicea in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Psathyrella spadicea is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Edible fungi, Fungi described in 1783, Fungi of Europe, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Psathyrella spadicea outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Psathyrella spadicea” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Psathyrella spadicea in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Psathyrella spadicea means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Psathyrella spadicea out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Psathyrella spadicea in simple terms?

Psathyrella spadicea or Homophron spadiceum, commonly known as the chestnut brittlestem, is a species of agaric fungus in the family Psathyrellaceae. Taxonomy The fungus was originally described by German mycologist Jacob Christian Schäffer in 1783 as Agaricus spadiceus.

Why does Psathyrella spadicea matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Psathyrella spadicea?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Psathyrella spadicea.