Entoloma chalybaeum - Indigo Pinkgill

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

A dark steel-blue mushroom (synonym Entoloma nitidum), Entoloma chalybaeum grows singly or in small groups in deciduous woodland. It is most common at high altitude but does occasionally occur in lowland woods and forests.

This poisonous but very attractive pinkgill ocurs in grassland and occasionally also on heaths. It is more common in Scotland and the north-west of England and Wales than it is elsewhere in the UK.

Identification guide

Cap	Frequently displaying a broad umbo, the cap of Entoloma chalybaeum is dark steel blue and 3 to 5cm in diameter.
Gills	White at first, becoming dirty salmon pink, the gills are rather tick and moderately spaced.
Spores	Pale pink.
Stem	Striped with blue fibres over a white base, the parallel-sided stem turns brown as the fruiting body ages.
Odour/taste	Not distinctive.
Habitat	Usually in small groups or singly in moist upland forests and occasionally in lowland areas.
Season	Summer and autumn.
Occurrence	Rare in lowland areas; occasional in the uplands.
Similar species	There are several 'blue' mushrooms in the Entoloma genus, including Entoloma serrulatum, which is generally smaller than Entoloma chalybaeum.