Paxillus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Paxillus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| P. involutus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Boletales |
| Family: | Paxillaceae |
| Genus: | Paxillus Fr. (1835) |
| Type species | |
| Paxillus involutus (Batsch) Fr. (1838) | |
| Diversity[1] | |
| 36 species | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Paxillus is a genus of mushrooms of which most are known to be poisonous or inedible. Species include Paxillus involutus and Paxillus vernalis. Two former species—Tapinella panuoides and Tapinella atrotomentosa—have now been transferred to the related genus Tapinella in the family Tapinellaceae.[3][4]
Paxillus means small stake.[5]
While this genus has in the past been erroneously considered edible, it is now known to be poisonous and has been linked to a number of recorded fatalities. The deadly poisonings appear to have been due to eating the mushrooms raw.[5]
