Collybia brunneocephala
Species of fungus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Collybia brunneocephala, also known as the brown blewit or brownit, is a species of gilled mushroom.[5] Previously designated Clitocybe brunneocephala,[2] the brownit and its lavender-colored cousin Clitocybe nuda (the wood blewit) were reassigned to the genus Collybia in 2023.[6]
| Collybia brunneocephala | |
|---|---|
| |
| Placer County, California, 2015 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Agaricales |
| Family: | Clitocybaceae |
| Genus: | Collybia |
| Species: | C. brunneocephala |
| Binomial name | |
| Collybia brunneocephala H.E. Bigelow, 1982 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Clitocybe brunneocephala[1] | |
| Collybia brunneocephala | |
|---|---|
| Mycological characteristics | |
 | Gills on hymenium |
 | Cap is convex or flat |
 | Hymenium is adnate or decurrent |
 | Stipe is bare |
 | Spore print is pink |
 | Ecology is saprotrophic |
 | Edibility is choice |
It is found in North America and edible but resembles some poisonous species.
Taxonomy
William Murrill originally described this species in 1913 as a Melanoleuca, based on a specimen collected by R. A. Harper in Alameda County, California.[3][4] However, based on the minimal information provided, it was not included in later descriptions of Clitocybe species.[1] The brownit was rediscovered by David Arora in Santa Cruz County, California, in the 1970s, and Howard E. Bigelow formally redescribed it in his 1982 Clitocybe monograph using Arora's specimens.[1] There was already a Clitocybe harperi, so the Bigelow gave it a new name suggestive of its brown (brunneo-) head (-cephela).[1][3] According to recent genetic studies by taxonomists in China, C. brunneocephala belongs to a subgenus designated Leucocalocybe, along with what were formerly designated Lepista personata, Lepista nuda, Lepista fibrosissima, Lepista sordida, and Leucocalocybe mongolica, "forming a strongly supported monophyletic clade (BP = 95%, PP = 1.00)".[6]
Description
As its name implies, the brownit is a brown-capped mushroom with light-beige gills.[2] It is of somewhat stumpy proportions.[2]
The cap is usually described as "lubricious"[2][3] and often has a rubbery-translucent gloss without being sticky; it is up to 14 centimetres (5+1⁄2 in) wide.[7] The whitish stem discolors to yellowish where touched; it is up to 6 cm (2+1⁄4 in) long.[7] The spore print is light pinkish.[7]
Similar species
The species can be confused with Entoloma lividoalbum, Entoloma sericatum, and Entoloma rhodopolium, all of which are poisonous.[3]
Brownits can also be mistaken for Collybia nuda (which it resembles in both "size and stature")[3] and Clitocybe tarda, but can be distinguished by color and size.[2] Collybia nuda often looks brown in age, but will retain undertones of lilac.[2] Clitocybe tarda mushrooms are smaller than brownits and retain some hint of purple on the cap.[2]
Distribution and habitat
The brownit can be found most frequently from December to March,[1][5] most commonly in California.[2] Often found in lawns and open meadows, sometimes in fairy rings, it also turns up under California native oaks and Monterey cypress.[8]
Uses
The brownit is considered an excellent edible mushroom.[3]
