Cystolepiota bucknallii

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.

Cystolepiota bucknallii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Division:
Class:
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Species:
C. bucknallii
Binomial name
Cystolepiota bucknallii
(Berk. & Broome) Singer & Clémençon (1972)
Synonyms[1]
  • Agaricus bucknallii Berk. & Broome (1881)
  • Lepiota bucknallii (Berk. & Broome) Sacc. (1887)
  • Lepiota seminuda var. lilacina Quél. (1877)
  • Lepiota lilacina (Quél.) Mussat (1900)
  • Cystoderma bucknallii (Berk. & Broome) Singer (1939)
  • Cystolepiota bucknallii var. lilacina (Quél.) Bon (1993)
Cystolepiota bucknallii
float
Mycological characteristics
gills on hymenium
cap is convex
hymenium is free
stipe is bare
spore print is white
ecology is saprotrophic
edibility: inedible

Description

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]

Habitat

C. bucknallii has been recorded in various countries in central and northern Europe including France, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Russia.[5] It is a terrestrial decomposer which occurs in deciduous forests with moist, calcareous soils rich in nutrients and especially nitrogen. Fruit bodies appear in autumn.[3] Moreover, C. bucknallii is an uncommon or rare fungus whose populations are found in communities harbouring a diversity of other rare species. A population may serve as an indicator for rich, conservable biotopes.[6]

References

  1. "GSD Species Synonymy:Cystolepiota bucknallii (Berk. & Broome) Singer & Clémençon". Species Fungorum. CAB International. Retrieved 2014-11-16.
  2. "Cystolepiota bucknallii at Rogers Mushrooms". Rogers Plants Ltd. Archived from the original on July 8, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
  3. Jordan M. (1995). The Encyclopedia of Fungi of Britain and Europe. London: David & Charles. p. 215. ISBN 0-7153-0129-2.
  4. Wood W.; Smith J.; Wayman K.; Largent D. (2003). "Indole and 3-chloroindole: The source of the disagreeable odor of Hygrophorus paupertinus". Mycologia. 95 (5): 807–08. doi:10.2307/3762008. JSTOR 3762008.
  5. "Cystolepiota bucknallii - GBIF Portal". GBIF. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
  6. "Factsheet: Cystolepiota bucknallii – violettfotad puderskivling" (PDF) (in Swedish). ArtDatabanken.

Cystolepiota bucknallii in Index Fungorum

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.