Entoloma saepium

Entoloma saepium

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Family: Entolomataceae

This largish (for an Entoloma) mushroom is a rare find in Britain and Ireland, where it occurs mainly under trees of the family Rosaceae - Rowans, for example.

Other large Entoloma species with straw- or cream-buff-coloured caps include Entoloma saundersii and Entoloma aprile, both of which are found with trees in the family Rosaceae; odour and spore size measurements help to separate these difficult mushrooms.

This mushroom can occur solitarily, but more often it fruits in small groups.

Identification guide

Cap of Entoloma saepium

Cap

3 to 10cm across; initially conical, becoming convex with a wavy margin; surface slightly greasy when fresh, often with fine silky radial fibrils; flesh firm and white.

Gills of Entoloma saepium

Gills

Adnate, crowded; white or very pale grey at first, becoming pink at maturity.

Spores

Pink.

Stem

4 to 9cm long and 5 to 15mm dia.; colour as cap or paler, especially towards base; sometimes with redish longitudinal fibrils; cylindrical or slightly clavate at base; no ring.

Odour/taste

Not distinctive.

Habitat

Usually in small groups in grass or leaf litter under trees or bushes of the family Rosaceae.

Season

Fruiting from spring to midsummer.

Occurrence

Infrequent or rare in most parts of Britain and Ireland; more common in some countries in mainland Europe, including Slovenia.

Similar species

This mushroom may be poisonous; it could be confused with St George's Mushroom, Calocybe gambosa, which usually fruits from Springtime until early summer and has white gills with a mealy odour.

Many other pale-capped fungi occur in similar habitats - Clitocybe nebularis, is one such example - but gill colour and odour help differentiate them from pale Entoloma species.