Hundreds of species of mushrooms compose the genus Clitocybe. They are characterized by white spore prints, gills running down the stem, and pale white to brown or lilac coloration. They are primarily saprotrophic, decomposing forest ground litter.

A few members of the genus are considered edible; many others are poisonous, containing the toxin muscarine among others. Distinguishing individual species of Clitocybe is generally prohibitively difficult to non-experts, requiring the analysis of microscopic characters. Therefore, with the exception of a few charismatic and readily identified members, Clitocybe mushrooms are rarely collected for consumption.

Recent molecular work has shown the genus to be polyphyletic, with many members seemingly distantly related and other fungi, such as the field blewit and wood blewit, now known as Clitocybe saeva and C. nuda respectively, are more closely related. As C. clavipes is the type species, those most distantly related to it would be likely to be reclassified in the future.

Toxicity

The consumption of two species, Clitocybe acromelalga from Japan, and Clitocybe amoenolens from France, has led to several cases of mushroom-induced erythromelalgia which lasted from 8 days to 5 months.

List of species

• Clitocybe acromelalga (Japan)
• Clitocybe alexandri
• Clitocybe amoenolens - poisonous bamboo mushroom (France)
• Clitocybe brumalis — Winter Funnel Cap
• Clitocybe candicans
• Clitocybe candida
• Clitocybe cerussata
• Clitocybe clavipes — may be edible but poisonous when consumed in conjunction with alcohol
• Clitocybe dealbata — Ivory Funnel, Sweating mushroom (Europe), poisonous
• Clitocybe ditopus
• Clitocybe dilata
• Clitocybe eccentrica
• Clitocybe entoloma
• Clitocybe eucalyptorum
• Clitocybe flaccida
• Clitocybe fragrans
• Clitocybe geotropa
• Clitocybe gibba
• Clitocybe gigantea (=Leucopaxillus giganteus)
• Clitocybe glutiniceps
• Clitocybe maxima
• Clitocybe nebularis — Clouded agaric - considered edible by some, though causes gastric upset in many people
• Clitocybe nuda — Wood blewit — a common edible distinguished in part by its lilac hue
• Clitocybe odora — Aniseed toadstool; grows near birch trees, but can be easily mistaken for poisonous ones mainly because of its appearance
• Clitocybe rivulosa - Fool's Funnel (Europe, North America)

• Clitocybe sclerotoidea
• Clitocybe squamulosa
• Clitocybe truncicola
• Clitocybe vibecina

The bioluminescent jack o'lantern mushroom (Omphalotus olearius) was formerly placed in this genus as Clitocybe illudens.

See also

• Mushroom hunting
• Mushroom poisoning

External links

• Clitocybe at Mushroom Expert.com

References

• Bessette, A. E., Roody, W. C. & Bessette, A. R. (2000). North American boletes: A color guide to the fleshy pored mushrooms. China: Syracuse UP. 399 pp.
• Bruns, T. D. & Palmer, J. D. (1989). Evolution of mushroom mitochondrial DNA: Suillus and related genera. Journal of Molecular Evolution 28: 349-362.
• Smith, A. H., Smith, H. V. & Weber, N. S. (1981). How to know the non-gilled mushrooms. Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown. 324 pp.