Small agaric, growing on bryophytes, with a white or cream to yellow spore print. Pileus yellow, orange, brown, purple, grey or black, not viscid. Lamellae decurrent. Stipe central. Partial veil remnants absent. Spores hyaline, non-amyloid, smooth; germ pore absent. Cheilocystidia present. Lamellar trama regular. Pileipellis a cutis. Clamp connections present.

There are conspicuous cheilocystidia, caulocystidia (thick-walled) and pileocysitidia. The caulocystidia can be seen with a hand lens if the stipe is held up to the light. The prominent cystidia distinguish Rickenella from other small agarics with decurrent lamellae, such as Arrhenia (which is never yellow or orange), Lichenomphalia (which can be bright yellow, but is always associated with an algal mat) and Loreleia (which is orange and grows among bryophytes, but lacks clamp connections). Small species of Hygrocybe can have decurrent lamellae, but they are often viscid, and lack conspicuous cystidia.

Rickenella Raithelh., Metrodiana 4: 67 (1973).

Two species: Rickenella fibula and R. swartzii (= R. setipes in the sense of many authors).

W.A., S.A., Qld, N.S.W., Vic. and Tas.

In native forests, and also in lawns.

Always on or among bryophytes (especially mosses).

Parasitic on bryophytes.

Bougher, N.L. (2009a), Fungi of the Perth region and beyond: a self-managed field book, Western Australian Naturalists' Club (Inc.), Perth. [Description and Illustration of R. fibula]

Bougher, N.L. & Syme, K. (1998), Fungi of Southern Australia. University of Western Australia Press, Nedlands. [Description, Illustration and Microcharacters of R. fibula]

Breitenbach, J. & Kränzlin, F. (eds) (1991), Fungi of Switzerland. Volume 3. Boletes and Agarics 1st part. Edition Mykologia, Lucerne. [Illustration, Description and Microcharacters of R. fibula and R. swartzii (as R. setipes) from Europe]

Fuhrer, B. (2005), A Field Guide to Australian Fungi. Bloomings Books, Hawthorn. [Description and Illustration of R. fibula and R. swartzii (as R. setipes)]

Grgurinovic, C.A. (1997a), Larger Fungi of South Australia. The Botanic Gardens of Adelaide and State Herbarium and The Flora and Fauna of South Australia Handbooks Committee, Adelaide. [Description, Illustration and Microcharacters of R. fibula]

McCann, I.R. (2003), Australian Fungi Illustrated. Macdown Productions, Vermont. [Illustration of R. fibula]