[GS] Pileus 4-8 cm. diam., buff to sordid pink, matt, convex at first with centre slightly or strongly depressed, often becoming broadly concave with age, margin strongly down-rolled; flesh concolorous, with a water soaked layer above the gills. Gills decurrent, pale sordid pink, moderately crowded, long and short intercalated. Stipe 3-4 x 1-1.5 cm., concolorous, fibrillose to velvety, solid. Spores 7-8 X 5-5.5um, non-amyloid, shallow nodulose (Fig. 1/11, p. 10).. Taste and smell mildly peppery when fresh, smell strongly peppery when drying. HABITAT: under exotic and indigenous trees, Brooklyn, 6.5.1947, Naomi Dodds; Hokio, 8.6.1948, G. Parsons; Wellington Botanic Garden, 2.6.1949, Stevenson (type); Nelson, 9.6.1955 & 20.6.1956, D. Read; Nelson, 7.5.1957, E. Kidson. [EH] Spore print pink. Basidiospores 7–10 × 5–6 um, ovoid to elliptical, weakly nodulose or rugulose, inamyloid. Basidia 30–35 × 6–7 um, cylindrical to slender clavate, 4-spored, clampless. Cheilocystidia (Pseudocystidia) scattered or absent, cylindrical, hyaline, refractive content absent. aulocystidia like cheilocystidia, often fasciculate. Pileipellis a cutis composed of cylindrical, short-celled hyphae, terminal cells not distinctive, nongelatinized walls thin, in KOH minutely encrusted with pale brown pigment. Oleiferous hyphae absent. Clamp connections absent. NOTES: This species with medium-sized to large basidiomes (pileus up to 130 mm diam.) is kept in Rhodocybe because of its broadly adnate or shortly decurrent lamellae, pink spore print, farinaceous taste, short-celled pileipellis hyphae with encrusting pigment, and clampless septa. In the field Rhodocybe piperita can readily be mistakenfor R. antipoda (p. 88), R. multilamellata (p. 86), or even Hebeloma sp. However, R.piperita is distinctly separated by the size of the basidiospores [JAC] R. (Lepista) antipoda 4.5–6 × 3–4, R. multilamellata 3.5–4 × 3.5–4, R. dingleyae 4.5–5.5 × 3.5–4, R. Spores of type from cap, minus apiculus: length=5.8–8.0µm (µ=6.7, σ=0.53), width=4.2–5.3µm (µ=4.8, σ=0.32), Q=1.3–1.7µm (µ=1.42, σ=0.11), n=30. They sometimes settle on sort-axis, or spores are variously shaped. The 86% range would be 5.9-7.5 x 4.3-5.3 so both Stevenson & Horak spore measurements are too large and yet the character is used as a separator by Horak. The specimen does not posess cheilocystidia. It is a good Rhodocybe but R. multilamellata requires examination.

New Zealand: North Island, Wellington, al Garden. 2.VI. 1949. leg. Stevenson-Cone 617 (K. holotype).

Stevenson (1964: loc. cit.); Horak (1971: loc. cit.).

The diameter of the plane or concave pilei of R. antipoda and R. piperita can reach 80 mm or even 130 mm in the latter species. In the field, it may be difficult to separate the two species since microscopically they are rather similar. However, they are readily distinguished through their spore measurements.

[Notes from Kew Type specimen, PRJ 2010] Kew images.

Pileus 4-8 cm diam., buff to sordid pink, matt, convex at first with centre slightly or strongly depressed, often becoming broadly concave with age, margin strongly down-rolled; flesh concolorous, with a water soaked layer above the gills. Gills decurrent, pale sordid pink, moderately crowded, long and short intercalated. Stipe 3-4 x 1-1.5 cm, concolorous, fibrillose to velvety, solid. Spores 7-8 x 5-5.5 µm non-amyloid, shallow nodulose (Fig. 11). Taste and smell mildly peppery when fresh, smell strongly peppery when drying.

Under exotic and indigenous trees, Brooklyn, 6.3.1947, Naomi Dodds; Hokio, 8.6.1948, G. Parsons; Wellington Botanic Garden) 2.6.1949, Stevenson (type); Nelson, 9-6.1955 & 20.6.1956, D. Read-, Nelson, 7.5.1957, E. Kidson.

Pileus 4-8 cm diam., ochraceus usque sordide puniceus, haud lucens, primum convexus, medio leviter vel valde depresso, aetate provectiore saepe late concavus, margine valde deorsum involute; came concolori, strato hygrophano supra lamellas sito. Lamellae decurrentes, pallide sordide puniceae, modice confertae, longiores cum brevioribus intercalatae. Stipes 3-4 x 1-1.5 cm, concolor, fibrillosus usque velutinus, solidus. Sporae 7-8 x 5-5.5 µm haud amyloideae, leviter nodulosae. Sapor leviter piperaceus. Odor fungi viventis leviter piperaceus, exsiccando valde piperaceus.

Typus: Stevenson 6l7