The Pinkgills (Entoloma species) are good indicators of grassland quality, and they frequently pop up alongside waxcaps (Hygrocybe species); however, there are also several woodland Entoloma fungi, and their close relative The Miller (Clitopilus prunulus) is also a woodland-edge mushroom.
The family Entolomataceae was established in 1972 by Czech mycologists František Kotlaba (born 1927) and Zdeněk Pouzar (born 1932). This family comprises some 300 species in Europe, encompassing the Entoloma, Clitopilus and Rhodocybe genera as well as several other rarely-encountered groups.
Entoloma fungi grow on soil; they are mainly small to medium-sized fungi with pinkish gills and pink spores, although the genus does also include a few large fungi. The Entoloma genus is remarkable for the consistency of its gill colours contrasted with a wide range of cap colours. Entoloma chalybaeum, for example, has a dark steely blue cap, while other species in the same genus have caps of cream, tan, brown and black.
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