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.
For more information about the family Entolomatacae and a deeper insight into the ecology and structure of the Entoloma and related species featured in our Entolomataceae Gallery pages, please see Pat O'Reilly's latest book .