Cystolepiota bucknallii
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cystolepiota bucknallii | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Agaricales |
| Family: | Agaricaceae |
| Genus: | Cystolepiota |
| Species: | C. bucknallii |
| Binomial name | |
| Cystolepiota bucknallii | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
Cystolepiota bucknallii | |
|---|---|
 | Gills on hymenium |
 | Cap is convex |
 | Hymenium is free |
 | Stipe is bare |
 | Spore print is white |
 | Ecology is saprotrophic |
 | Edibility is inedible |
Cystolepiota bucknallii is a species of basidiomycete fungus of the genus Cystolepiota. Found throughout Europe, it is a rare fungus occurring in deciduous forests. The small fruit bodies bear a distinctive smell of coal gas and appear in autumn on damp ground. It is not an edible mushroom.
The fruit body of Cystolepiota bucknallii is a relatively small, thin-fleshed agaric. The cap is at first hemispherical and becomes convex with maturity. It bears a broad central umbo and reaches 5 cm in diameter. The cap cuticle is white with a lilac or violet tinge. The gills are crowded and not attached to the stipe. Their colour is cream to pale yellow. The stipe is comparatively long (up to 6 cm), slender and bare, tinged lilac or violet except for the uppermost section where it is pallid. Both cap and stipe are covered with a mealy powder which is easily rubbed off. All parts are fragile. The flesh is white, thin and does not bear a distinctive taste.[2][3]
The spore mass is white. With the aid of a light microscope, the spores are seen ellipsoid, smooth and colourless. When Melzer's reagent is applied, the spore walls barely stain; hence, the spores are weakly dextrinoid. Their dimensions are 7.5–10 μm by 1–3.5 μm.[2][3]
Cystolepiota bucknallii has a characteristically pungent odour, reminiscent of coal gas or sulphur. Indole is present in this as well as in other similar-scented fungi: Tricholoma inamoenum, Tricholoma lascivum, Tricholoma sulphureum and others.[4]
While its edibility is not known, there exists speculation about possible toxicity.[2][3]