Melanoleuca
Encyclopedia
Melanoleuca is a genus
of mushroom
s in the Tricholomataceae
family. Most are small to medium sized, white to brown, with white spore
s and close gills. They grow directly from the ground, have a nearly flat cap
and a tough thin stem
. The spores of members of Melanoleuca are ornamented with amyloid
warts. They are difficult to identify without a microscope. DNA studies have determined that this genus is closely related to Amanita
and Pluteus
. The widespread genus contains about 50 species.
The name of the genus is derived from the Ancient Greek
melano- meaning "black", and leukos meaning "white".
Species include:
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 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 Tricholomataceae
Tricholomataceae
The Tricholomataceae are a large family of mushrooms within the Agaricales. A classic "wastebasket taxon", the Tricholomataceae is inclusive of any white-, yellow-, or pink-spored genera in the Agaricales not already classified as belonging to the Amanitaceae, Lepiotaceae, Hygrophoraceae,...
family. Most are small to medium sized, white to brown, with white spore
Spore
In biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many bacteria, plants, algae, fungi and some protozoa. According to scientist Dr...
s and close gills. They grow directly from the ground, have a nearly flat 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...
and a tough thin stem
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
. The spores of members of Melanoleuca are ornamented with amyloid
Amyloid
Amyloids are insoluble fibrous protein aggregates sharing specific structural traits. Abnormal accumulation of amyloid in organs may lead to amyloidosis, and may play a role in various neurodegenerative diseases.-Definition:...
warts. They are difficult to identify without a microscope. DNA studies have determined that this genus is closely related to Amanita
Amanita
The genus Amanita contains about 600 species of agarics including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide. This genus is responsible for approximately 95% of the fatalities resulting from mushroom poisoning, with the death cap accounting for about 50% on its own...
and Pluteus
Pluteus
Pluteus is a large genus of fungi with over 100 species. They are wood rotting saprobes with pink spore prints and gills that are free from the stem.Pluteus means shed or penthouse.-Characteristics of the genus :...
. The widespread genus contains about 50 species.
The name of the genus is derived from the Ancient 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...
melano- meaning "black", and leukos meaning "white".
Species include:
- Melanoleuca alboflavida edible
- Melanoleuca angelesiana
- Melanoleuca brevipes
- Melanoleuca cognata edible
- Melanoleuca evenosa edible
- Melanoleuca graminicola
- Melanoleuca lewisii
- Melanoleuca melaleucaMelanoleuca melaleucaMelanoleuca melaleuca is a species of mushroom in the Tricholomataceae family, and the type species of the genus Melanoleuca. First described under the name Agaricus melaleucus by Christian Hendrik Persoon in his 1801 Synopsis Methodica Fungorum, the species was moved to a number of different...
- Melanoleuca privernensisMelanoleuca privernensisMelanoleuca privernensis is a species of fungus in the Pluteaceae family. It was originally named Kinia privernensis in 2008, and a new genus Kinia was erected to contain it. Two years later, molecular analysis showed that it was closely related to Melanoleuca, and Kinia was reduced to a subgenus...
- Melanoleuca verrucipesMelanoleuca verrucipesMelanoleuca privernensis is a species of fungus in the Tricholomataceae family. It is described as being a "very distinct species with its blackish dotted stipe." It was reportedly first discovered on leaf mulch in Highgate Woods, north London. The edibility of the mushroom is not known with...