Great info, there were masses of spores on the litter around where these were growing. They must need to produce tons of spores for some reason. Maybe not very many suitable habitats.

Cool the spore producing surface is on top too.

And altho you didn’t find the remains, they do have a volva, as well as the curious quality of producing their spores from the TOP surface of their “caps”;
their long-lived fruit bodies will produce prodigious amounts of powdery rust-brown spores, for weeks or months. they are dessicated, elongated indefatigable spore machines!

for illustration including volva, go here: http://mushroomobserver.org/image/show_image/40106?obs=19814&seq_key=437520

Thanks Darv, I’ve gotta get that book.