Leucopaxillus
Encyclopedia
Leucopaxillus is a genus
of fairly large white-spored gilled mushrooms
which are found worldwide growing on the ground in woodlands. These are saprotrophs, but may sometimes be ectomycorrhizal. Less than ten species of Leucopaxillus are known to grow in North America. No species of Leucopaxillus are known to be poisonous, but they do not have an appealing taste or texture. The widespread genus contains about 15 species.
Members of Leucopaxillus are medium sized to large, have a dry convex to depressed cap
, an inrolled margin when young, lack a partial veil
and have tough flesh
. They have white or yellowish gills which can come off in a layer, leaving the underside of the cap smooth. The spores
are white, amyloid
and spiny. These mushrooms often smell bad and can be mistaken for Tricholoma and Clitocybe
, but mushrooms in those genera are more fragile and rot more quickly. Members of Leucopaxillus have antibiotic
s which make the mushrooms persist much longer than most, making them appear to be more common than they actually are.
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 fairly large white-spored gilled mushrooms
Agaricales
The fungal order Agaricales, also known as gilled mushrooms , or euagarics, contains some of the most familiar types of mushrooms. The order has 33 extant families, 413 genera, and over 13000 described species, along with five extinct genera known only from the fossil record...
which are found worldwide growing on the ground in woodlands. These are saprotrophs, but may sometimes be ectomycorrhizal. Less than ten species of Leucopaxillus are known to grow in North America. No species of Leucopaxillus are known to be poisonous, but they do not have an appealing taste or texture. The widespread genus contains about 15 species.
Members of Leucopaxillus are medium sized to large, have a dry convex to depressed cap
Pileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
, an inrolled margin when young, lack a partial veil
Partial veil
thumb|150px|right|Developmental stages of [[Agaricus campestris]] showing the role and evolution of a partial veilPartial veil is a mycological term used to describe a temporary structure of tissue found on the fruiting bodies of some basidiomycete fungi, typically agarics...
and have tough flesh
Trama (mycology)
In mycology trama is a term for the inner, fleshy portion of a mushroom's basidiocarp, or fruit body. It is distinct from the outer layer of tissue, known as the pileipellis or cuticle, and from the spore-bearing tissue layer known as the hymenium....
. They have white or yellowish gills which can come off in a layer, leaving the underside of the cap smooth. The spores
Basidiospore
A basidiospore is a reproductive spore produced by Basidiomycete fungi. Basidiospores typically each contain one haploid nucleus that is the product of meiosis, and they are produced by specialized fungal cells called basidia. In grills under a cap of one common species in the phylum of...
are white, amyloid
Amyloid (mycology)
In mycology the term amyloid refers to a crude chemical test using iodine in either Melzer's reagent or Lugol's solution, to produce a black to blue-black positive reaction. It is called amyloid because starch gives a similar reaction, and that reaction for starch is also called an amyloid reaction...
and spiny. These mushrooms often smell bad and can be mistaken for Tricholoma and Clitocybe
Clitocybe
Hundreds of species of mushrooms compose the fungus genus Clitocybe. They are characterized by white, off-white, buff, cream, pink, or light-yellow spores, gills running down the stem, and pale white to brown or lilac coloration. They are primarily saprotrophic, decomposing forest ground litter...
, but mushrooms in those genera are more fragile and rot more quickly. Members of Leucopaxillus have antibiotic
Antibiotic
An antibacterial is a compound or substance that kills or slows down the growth of bacteria.The term is often used synonymously with the term antibiotic; today, however, with increased knowledge of the causative agents of various infectious diseases, antibiotic has come to denote a broader range of...
s which make the mushrooms persist much longer than most, making them appear to be more common than they actually are.
Selected species
- Leucopaxillus albissimusLeucopaxillus albissimusLeucopaxillus albissimus is a saprobic species of fungus in the Tricholomataceae family of mushrooms. One of the larger mushrooms in the San Francisco Bay Area, Leucopaxillus albissimus has a fruiting body that is unusually resistant to decay....
- Leucopaxillus cerealis
- Leucopaxillus gentianeusLeucopaxillus gentianeusLeucopaxillus gentianeus is a bitter-tasting, inedible mushroom commonly known as the bitter false funnelcap, or the bitter brown leucopaxillus. A common synonym is Leucopaxillus amarus. The bitter taste is caused by a triterpene called cucurbitacin B. -Description:The cap typically measures from 5...
- Leucopaxillus giganteusLeucopaxillus giganteusLeucopaxillus giganteus, commonly known as the giant leucopax or the giant funnel, is a saprobic species of fungus in the Tricholomataceae family. As its common names imply, the fruit body, or mushroom, can become quite large—the cap reaches diameters of up to...
- Leucopaxillus gracillimus
- Leucopaxillus lepistoides
- Leucopaxillus macrocephalus
- Leucopaxillus paradoxusLeucopaxillus paradoxusLeucopaxillus is a species of fungus in the Tricholomataceae family, and the type species of the genus Leucopaxillus. It was first described as Clitocybe paradoxa in 1896, and transferred to the newly created Leucopaxillus in 1925. It is found in Asia, Europe, and North America.-External links:*...
- Leucopaxillus rhodoleucus
- Leucopaxillus subzonalis
- Leucopaxillus tricolor
External links
Further reading
- Singer R, Smith AH. (1943). A monograph on the genus Leucopaxillus Boursier. Papers of the Michigan Academy of Science 28: 85–132.
- Singer R, Smith AH. (1947). Additional notes on the genus Leucopaxillus. MycologiaMycologiaMycologia is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes papers on all aspects of the fungi, including lichens. It first appeared as a bimonthly journal in January of 1909, published by the New York Botanical Garden under the editorship of William Murrill. It became the official journal of...
39: 725–736.