Tricholoma fulvum - Birch Knight

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Tricholoma fulvum can grow to 15cm in diameter. Found under deciduous trees, notably birch (hence its common name Birch Knight), the caps expand with a low central umbo, mature caps are radially streaky. It is generally considered a rather poor but edible mushroom.

Birch Knights occur in large numbers on wet woodland edges, but also keep an eye open for these atypical knights where birches have sprung up as pioneer trees on the disturbed boggy land beside low-lying forestry tracks.

Most of the Tricholoma fungi have white gills, but this is an exception, and with its tendency to develop brown spots on its gills plus the distinctive cap striations the Birch Knight is arguably the most distinctive member of this tricky group of mushrooms.

Identification Guide

	Cap Reddish-brown in the centre, with the margin more yellow and with radial brown streaks; convex, flattening with a small umbo; matt and finely fibrillose; sticky when wet; 5 to 12cm across.
	Gills Bright yellow, becoming marked with brown spots; adnexed. Stem Pale yellow; lined vertically with brown fibres; cylindrical; fibrous; 5 to 10cm long, 8 to 15mm diameter.; no ring.
Spore print	White.
Odour/taste	Odour slightly farinaceous (like flour dough); taste not significant.
Habitat	With deciduous trees, mainly birches, usually in wet places; occasionally on roadside verges under hedgerows.
Season	June (often one of the earliest of the Tricholoma species to appear) to October.
Occurrence	Very common and widespread.
Similar species	Tricholoma equestre has a brown-yellow cap but is distinguished by its bright-yellow gills..