Lepiota castanea

Lepiota castanea, commonly known as the chestnut dapperling, is a dangerously poisonous, uncommon, gilled mushroom of the genus Lepiota in the order Agaricales. It is known to contain amatoxins and consuming this fungus can be a potentially lethal proposition. It was described by French mycologist Lucien Quélet in 1881.

Lepiota castanea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Fungi
Division:
Basidiomycota
Class:
Agaricomycetes
Order:
Agaricales
Family:
Agaricaceae
Genus:
Lepiota
Species:
L. castanea
Binomial name
Lepiota castanea
Lepiota castanea
float
Mycological characteristics
gills on hymenium
cap is campanulate or conical
hymenium is adnexed
stipe has a ring
spore print is white
ecology is saprotrophic
edibility: deadly

It has white gills and spores. They typically have rings on the stems, which in larger fungi are detachable and glide up and down the stem.

It can be found in coniferous and deciduous woodlands, mostly singly or in small groups.

Description

The cap is broadly bell shaped to flat, dark red-brown; soon splitting and scaly, up to 3 cm in diameter. The spores and flesh are white, with a mild taste. The stem is typically chestnut brown.

Toxicity

Like several other species of the genus Lepiota, it contains amatoxins which can result in severe liver toxicity.

See also

References
  • E. Garnweidner. Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain and Europe. Collins. 1994.


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