Atheniella is a genus of small, brightly colored, Mycena-like agarics separated from Mycena in 2012. These tiny mushrooms grow on plant debris and duff (leaves, twigs, etc.). The name Atheniella comes from the Greek goddess Athena and was spelled as such to "achieve phonetic harmony and uniqueness with an allegorical allusion to mythical Athena (beauty, spear, and shield) and her ancient Mycenaean origins."

Cap conical, bell-shaped, convex, or sometimes papillate and brightly colored (red, orange, yellow, or white).

Stem thin and fragile, with coarse fibrils at the base, and colored white, pink, orange or yellow.

Gills attached to the stem with a decurrent tooth, reddish, pinkish, creamy, or white.

Spore Color white.

References

Gminder, A. 2016. Nomenclatural novelties. Index Fungorum. 302:1-1 http://www.indexfungorum.org/Publications/Index%20Fungorum%20no.302.pdf

Kalichman, J. (2023). Names - Agaricus & Agaricales. Retrieved October 14, 2025, from Agaric.us website: https://agaric.us/common_names/names.html

Peck, C.H. 1872. Report of the Botanist (1870). Annual Report on the New York State Museum of Natural History. 24:41-108 https://www.mykoweb.com/systematics/literature/Report%20of%20the%20State%20Botanist%201870.pdf

Redhead, SA. 2012. Nomenclatural novelties. Index Fungorum. 14:1-1 http://www.indexfungorum.org/Publications/Index%20Fungorum%20no.14.pdf