Lepiota
Encyclopedia
Lepiota is a genus
of gilled mushroom
s in the family
Agaricaceae
. All Lepiota species are ground-dwelling saprotrophs with a preference for rich, calcareous
soils. Basidiocarps (fruit bodies) are agaricoid
with whitish spores, typically with scaly caps and a ring on the stem. Around 400 species of Lepiota are currently recognized worldwide. Many species are poisonous, some lethally so.
. It was subsequently raised to the rank of genus by Samuel Frederick Gray
. As originally conceived, the genus was a mix of agarics with rings on their stems, including species now placed in Armillaria, Cortinarius
, and Pholiota
. In 1822, however, the influential Swedish mycologist Elias Magnus Fries
restricted Lepiota to white-spored, ringed agarics.
Based on macro- and micromorphology, later authors gradually refined the generic concept of Lepiota. Some unrelated genera, such as Cystoderma
(Fayod
1889) and Limacella
(Earle
1909), were removed from the genus whilst several related genera, including Leucocoprinus
(Patouillard
1888), Macrolepiota
and Leucoagaricus
(Singer
1948), and Cystolepiota
(Singer 1952), were segregated. These segregate genera, together with Lepiota itself, are still often grouped together as Lepiota s.l. (sensu lato = in the wide sense) or as the "lepiotoid" fungi.
, Lepiota has now been conserved under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants
, typified by Agaricus colubrinus Pers. (= Lepiota clypeolaria
). Recent molecular research, based on cladistic analysis of DNA sequences, suggests that the morphological
concept of Lepiota s.s. (sensu stricto = in the strict or narrow sense) is soundly based.
The name "Lepiota" is derived from the Greek
λεπις (= "scale") + οὖς (= "ear").
, most (but not all) having comparatively small caps (less than 10cm (4in) diameter) and slender stems. The cap cuticle (surface skin) typically splits as the cap expands, breaking up into concentric rings of scales towards the margin. The gills beneath the cap are white to cream (rarely yellow) and are free (not joined to the stem). The gills are covered by a partial veil when young, which typically ruptures to leave a cuff-like ring (sometimes ephemeral) often with additional scaly remains on the stem. Several species have a distinct, often rubbery, smell. The spore print is white to cream. The spores are usually (but not always) dextrinoid (turning red-brown in an iodine
-based reagent).
soils. They typically occur in rich humus in broadleaf or conifer woodland, in northern Europe often among nettles (Urtica dioica) or dog's mercury (Mercurialis perennis). A few species are more frequently found in calcareous grassland or in dunes. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution
, but with a preference for warm areas, meaning there are fewer species in colder climates. Around 400 species are currently recognized worldwide.
, L. brunneolilacea, L. castanea
, L. helveola
, and L. subincarnata
(synonym L. josserandii). No Lepiota species is recommended as edible.
The following species have individual entries, but are now placed in different genera:
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of gilled mushroom
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
s in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Agaricaceae
Agaricaceae
The Agaricaceae are a family of basidiomycete fungi and includes the genus Agaricus, as well as basidiomycetes previously classified in the families Tulostomataceae, Lepiotaceae, and Lycoperdaceae. The genus contains 85 genera and 1340 species.-Genera:...
. All Lepiota species are ground-dwelling saprotrophs with a preference for rich, calcareous
Calcareous
Calcareous is an adjective meaning mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate, in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.-In zoology:...
soils. Basidiocarps (fruit bodies) are agaricoid
Agaric
An agaric is a type of fungal fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus that is clearly differentiated from the stipe , with lamellae on the underside of the pileus. "Agaric" can also refer to a basidiomycete species characterized by an agaric-type fruiting body...
with whitish spores, typically with scaly caps and a ring on the stem. Around 400 species of Lepiota are currently recognized worldwide. Many species are poisonous, some lethally so.
History
Agaricus sect. Lepiota was originally published in 1797 by South African-born mycologist Christian Hendrik PersoonChristian Hendrik Persoon
Christiaan Hendrik Persoon was a mycologist who made additions to Linnaeus' mushroom taxonomy.-Early life:...
. It was subsequently raised to the rank of genus by Samuel Frederick Gray
Samuel Frederick Gray
Samuel Frederick Gray was a British botanist, mycologist, and pharmacologist. He was the father of the zoologists John Edward Gray and George Robert Gray.-Background:...
. As originally conceived, the genus was a mix of agarics with rings on their stems, including species now placed in Armillaria, Cortinarius
Cortinarius
Cortinarius is a genus of mushrooms. It is suspected to be the largest genus of agarics, containing over 2000 different species and found worldwide. A common feature among all species in the genus Cortinarius is that young specimens have a cortina between the cap and the stem, hence the name,...
, and Pholiota
Pholiota
Pholiota is a genus of small to fleshy mushrooms in the family Strophariaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution, especially in temperate regions, and contains about 150 species....
. In 1822, however, the influential Swedish mycologist Elias Magnus Fries
Elias Magnus Fries
-External links:*, Authors of fungal names, Mushroom, the Journal of Wild Mushrooming.*...
restricted Lepiota to white-spored, ringed agarics.
Based on macro- and micromorphology, later authors gradually refined the generic concept of Lepiota. Some unrelated genera, such as Cystoderma
Cystoderma
Cystoderma is a genus of fungi in the family Agaricaceae.The name probably comes from the Greek kýstis meaning pouch and derma meaning skin.-List of species:Below is an incomplete list of Cystoderma species....
(Fayod
Victor Fayod
Victor Fayod was a Swiss mycologist. He is credited with the first description of the mushroom Cystoderma amianthinum. He studied in Lausanne and Zurich. Fayod first worked with Heinrich Anton de Bary in Strasbourg from 1881 to 1882, then as a tutor. He also assisted French bacteriologist André...
1889) and Limacella
Limacella
Limacella is a genus of about 20 species of fungi in the Amanitaceae family in order Agaricales. Some of the species have been classified as members of genus Lepiota....
(Earle
Franklin Sumner Earle
Franklin Sumner Earle was an American mycologist. He was the first mycologist to work at the New York Botanical Garden, and was the author of The Genera of North American Gill Fungi .-References:...
1909), were removed from the genus whilst several related genera, including Leucocoprinus
Leucocoprinus
Leucocoprinus is a genus of fungi in the family Agaricaceae. Its best known member is the yellow pot-plant mushroom , found worldwide. The type species is Leucocoprinus cepistipes...
(Patouillard
Narcisse Théophile Patouillard
Narcisse Théophile Patouillard was a French pharmacist and mycologist.He was born in Macornay, a town in the department of Jura...
1888), Macrolepiota
Macrolepiota
Macrolepiota is a genus of white spored, gilled mushrooms of the family Agaricaceae. The best known member is the parasol mushroom . The genus has a widespread distribution and contains about 30 species....
and Leucoagaricus
Leucoagaricus
Leucoagaricus is a genus of fungi in the family Agaricaceae. The genus contains approximately 90 species.-External links:* at Index Fungorum...
(Singer
Rolf Singer
Rolf Singer was a German-born mycologist and one of the most important taxonomists of gilled mushrooms in the 20th century....
1948), and Cystolepiota
Cystolepiota
Cystolepiota is a genus of fungi in the family Agaricaceae.-Species:A list of Cystolepiota species is presented below.* C. adulterina* C. bucknallii* C. constricta* C. fumosifolia* C. hetieri* C. luteohemisphaerica...
(Singer 1952), were segregated. These segregate genera, together with Lepiota itself, are still often grouped together as Lepiota s.l. (sensu lato = in the wide sense) or as the "lepiotoid" fungi.
Current status
Following some discussion over the type speciesType species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
, Lepiota has now been conserved under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants
International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants
The International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants is the set of rules and recommendations dealing with the formal botanical names that are given to plants, fungi and a few other groups of organisms, all those "traditionally treated as plants"., Preamble, para...
, typified by Agaricus colubrinus Pers. (= Lepiota clypeolaria
Lepiota clypeolaria
Lepiota clypeolaria commonly known as the shield dapperling, is a common, toxic mushroom in the genus Lepiota. It can frequently be found in deciduous forest.-Description:...
). Recent molecular research, based on cladistic analysis of DNA sequences, suggests that the morphological
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
concept of Lepiota s.s. (sensu stricto = in the strict or narrow sense) is soundly based.
The name "Lepiota" is derived from the Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
λεπις (= "scale") + οὖς (= "ear").
Description
Fruit bodies of Lepiota species are all agaricoidAgaric
An agaric is a type of fungal fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus that is clearly differentiated from the stipe , with lamellae on the underside of the pileus. "Agaric" can also refer to a basidiomycete species characterized by an agaric-type fruiting body...
, most (but not all) having comparatively small caps (less than 10cm (4in) diameter) and slender stems. The cap cuticle (surface skin) typically splits as the cap expands, breaking up into concentric rings of scales towards the margin. The gills beneath the cap are white to cream (rarely yellow) and are free (not joined to the stem). The gills are covered by a partial veil when young, which typically ruptures to leave a cuff-like ring (sometimes ephemeral) often with additional scaly remains on the stem. Several species have a distinct, often rubbery, smell. The spore print is white to cream. The spores are usually (but not always) dextrinoid (turning red-brown in an iodine
Iodine
Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The name is pronounced , , or . The name is from the , meaning violet or purple, due to the color of elemental iodine vapor....
-based reagent).
Habitat and distribution
Most if not all Lepiota species are nitrophilic, with a preference for calcareousCalcareous
Calcareous is an adjective meaning mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate, in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.-In zoology:...
soils. They typically occur in rich humus in broadleaf or conifer woodland, in northern Europe often among nettles (Urtica dioica) or dog's mercury (Mercurialis perennis). A few species are more frequently found in calcareous grassland or in dunes. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution
Cosmopolitan distribution
In biogeography, a taxon is said to have a cosmopolitan distribution if its range extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. For instance, the killer whale has a cosmopolitan distribution, extending over most of the world's oceans. Other examples include humans, the lichen...
, but with a preference for warm areas, meaning there are fewer species in colder climates. Around 400 species are currently recognized worldwide.
Toxicity
Several species contain amatoxins and are lethally poisonous, if consumed. Those known to have caused fatalities include Lepiota brunneoincarnataLepiota brunneoincarnata
Lepiota brunneoincarnata, also known as the deadly dapperling, is a gilled mushroom of the genus Lepiota in the order Agaricales. It is known to contain amatoxins and consuming this fungus can be a potentially lethal proposition....
, L. brunneolilacea, L. castanea
Lepiota castanea
Lepiota castanea, commonly known as the chestnut dapperling, is a dangerously poisonous, uncommon, gilled mushroom of the genus Lepiota in the order Agaricales. It is known to contain amatoxins and consuming this fungus can be a potentially lethal proposition. It was described by French mycologist...
, L. helveola
Lepiota helveola
Lepiota helveola is a gilled mushroom of the genus Lepiota in the order Agaricales. It is known to contain amatoxins and consuming this fungus can be a potentially lethal proposition. It was described by Italian mycologist Giacomo Bresadola in 1882....
, and L. subincarnata
Lepiota subincarnata
Lepiota subincarnata is a gilled mushroom of the genus Lepiota in the order Agaricales. It is known to contain amatoxins and consuming this fungus can be potentially lethal. The species was first described scientifically by the Danish Mycologist Jakob Emanuel Lange in 1940....
(synonym L. josserandii). No Lepiota species is recommended as edible.
Literature
No comprehensive monograph of the genus has yet been published. In Europe, however, species of Lepiota were illustrated and described in a regional guide by Candusso & Lanzoni (1990) and more briefly in descriptive keys by Bon (1993). Dutch species were illustrated and described by Vellinga (2001). No equivalent modern guides have been published for North America, but Vellinga (2008) has published an online bibliography of the relevant literature. In Australia, a guide to the Lepiota species of south-eastern Queensland was published by Aberdeen (1992).List of species
The following species have individual entries:- Lepiota asperaLepiota asperaLepiota aspera; sometimes known commonly as the Freckled Dapperling, is a large brownish; white gilled mushroom, with a warty or scaly cap...
- Lepiota brunneoincarnataLepiota brunneoincarnataLepiota brunneoincarnata, also known as the deadly dapperling, is a gilled mushroom of the genus Lepiota in the order Agaricales. It is known to contain amatoxins and consuming this fungus can be a potentially lethal proposition....
- Lepiota castaneaLepiota castaneaLepiota castanea, commonly known as the chestnut dapperling, is a dangerously poisonous, uncommon, gilled mushroom of the genus Lepiota in the order Agaricales. It is known to contain amatoxins and consuming this fungus can be a potentially lethal proposition. It was described by French mycologist...
- Lepiota clypeolariaLepiota clypeolariaLepiota clypeolaria commonly known as the shield dapperling, is a common, toxic mushroom in the genus Lepiota. It can frequently be found in deciduous forest.-Description:...
- Lepiota helveolaLepiota helveolaLepiota helveola is a gilled mushroom of the genus Lepiota in the order Agaricales. It is known to contain amatoxins and consuming this fungus can be a potentially lethal proposition. It was described by Italian mycologist Giacomo Bresadola in 1882....
- Lepiota ignivolvataLepiota ignivolvataLepiota ignivolvata, sometimes known commonly as the Orange-girdled Parasol, is a rare member of the Lepiota genus of gilled mushrooms. It is among the larger species in this group, growing in coniferous or deciduous woodland during autumn; it has a primarily European distribution. Being inedible,...
- Lepiota subincarnataLepiota subincarnataLepiota subincarnata is a gilled mushroom of the genus Lepiota in the order Agaricales. It is known to contain amatoxins and consuming this fungus can be potentially lethal. The species was first described scientifically by the Danish Mycologist Jakob Emanuel Lange in 1940....
(synonym L. josserandii)
The following species have individual entries, but are now placed in different genera:
- Lepiota lutea = Leucocoprinus birnbaumiiLeucocoprinus birnbaumiiLeucocoprinus birnbaumii is a species of gilled mushroom in the family Agaricaceae. It is common in the tropics and subtropics, but in temperate regions frequently occurs in hothouses and flowerpots, hence its common names of plantpot dapperling and flowerpot parasol...
- Lepiota molybdites = Chlorophyllum molybditesChlorophyllum molybditesChlorophyllum molybdites, which has the common names of false parasol or green-spored parasol is a widespread mushroom. Highly poisonous and producing severe gastrointestinal symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, it is commonly confused with the shaggy parasol, and is the most commonly consumed...
- Lepiota naucina = Leucoagaricus leucothites
- Lepiota procera = Macrolepiota procera
- Lepiota rhacodes = Chlorophyllum rhacodes