Tricholoma equestre - Yellow Knight

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Despite a visual similarity to the Sulphur Knight, this chunky mushroom is distinguished by its smell: it has none. Tricholoma equestre (syn. Tricholoma flavovirens) is also known as the Man on Horseback, but why that should be is a mystery. Fairly common in northern Scotland, where it is most often mycorrhizal with Scots Pine in sandy areas but also occasionally with birches and with oaks, this late season mushroom is rarely seen either in southern Britain or in Ireland.

Identification Guide

Cap	Bright yellow, with a fibrous or scaly olive-brown central area; convex, often with a wavy margin and a slight central umbo; 5 to 9cm across.
	Gills Bright yellow; adnexed. Stem Pale yellow; lined vertically with brown fibres; cylindrical; 5 to 10cm long, 0.8 to 1.5cm dia.; no ring.
Spore print	White.
Odour/taste	No significant odour. Tasting not advisable: several cases of severe poisoning have been confirmed as being the result of eating, over a period of several days, meals each containing moderate portions of these mushrooms.
Habitat	Mainly under pines, but also mycorrhizal with birches and occasionally oaks.
Season	July to October.
Occurrence	Fairly common in Scotland; rare in England, Wales and Ireland.
Similar species	Tricholoma sulphureum has a yellow cap without the brown-olive central area; it smells strongly of coal gas.