Pluteus leoninus (Schaeff.) P. Kumm. - Lion Shield

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

The striking golden yellow cap of this medium-sized shield mushroom makes it easy to spot; however, its scarcity and its preference for dark, moist and well-shaded sites means that its appearance on fungus forays is an all too infrequent occurrence.

Like other shield mushrooms this is a wood-rotting fungus, and fallen hardwood trunks left to rot and gather moss for several years appear to be the Lion Shield's staple diet.

The specific epithet leoninus simply means 'like a lion', a reference to the colour rather than any other features of this rare woodland fungus!

Identification Guide

Cap	3 to 5 cm across, convex, developing a slight umbo but never fully flattening; smooth and finely velvety; margin only slightly striate (more visible when wet); golden-yellow with a slightly darker centre.
Gills	Free; crowded; white, often with yellowish edges, turning pink as the spores mature.
Spores	Pink.
Stem	4 to 7 cm long and 3 to 6mm dia.; smooth or slightly fibrillose; white background flushed with yellow, darkest near the base; no ring.
Odour/taste	Not distinctive.
Habitat	Solitary or in very small groups on old moss-covered stumps, rotting fallen trunks and fallen large branches of broad-leaf trees.
Season	Fruiting from early summer to late autumn.
Occurrence	Widespread but quite a rare find in most areas.
Similar species	Pluteus cervinus is usually larger and has a smooth brown or fawn cap. Pluteus chrysophaeus has a bright yellow cap but it is usually much smaller than Pluteus leoninus and does not have a darker central region.

Reference Sources

Fascinated by Fungi, Pat O'Reilly 2011

Dictionary of the Fungi; Paul M. Kirk, Paul F. Cannon, David W. Minter and J. A. Stalpers; CABI, 2008

Taxonomic history and synonym information on these pages is drawn from many sources but in particular from the British Mycological Society's GB Checklist of Fungi and (for basidiomycetes) on Kew's Checklist of the British & Irish Basidiomycota.