''Chlorophyllum'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of large
agaric
An agaric () is a type of fungus fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus (cap) that is clearly differentiated from the stipe (stalk), with lamellae (gills) on the underside of the pileus. In the UK, agarics are called "mushrooms ...
s similar in appearance to the true
parasol mushroom
''Macrolepiota procera'', the parasol mushroom, is a basidiomycete fungus with a large, prominent fruiting body resembling a parasol. It is a fairly common species on well-drained soils. It is found solitary or in groups and fairy rings in pas ...
. ''Chlorophyllum'' was originally coined in 1898, a time when spore color was the deciding factor for differentiating genera. It was termed in order to describe the poisonous green-spored ''C. molybdites'' which shared many characteristics of the mushrooms within the genus ''Lepiota'' but lacked the all important white spores. The name derives from Greek ''Chloro'' meaning green and ''phyllo'' meaning leaf (or gill in this case). It remained as a
monotypic genus
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...
until recently when modern DNA analyses concluded that many of the mushrooms contained in the genus ''Macrolepiota'' actually had more in common genetically with the ''Chlorophyllum molybdites'' than with the other members of the ''Macrolepiota''.
[Vellinga, Else. , Volume 16, Number 2, Fall 2006.] The genus has a widespread distribution, with many species found in
tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
regions. The best known members are the edible
shaggy parasol
Shaggy parasol is the common name for three closely related species of mushroom, ''Chlorophyllum rhacodes'' (or ''rachodes''), ''C. olivieri'' and ''C. brunneum'', found in North America, Europe and Southern Africa (the latter species is a ...
, a name applied to three very similar species ''Chlorophyllum rhacodes'', ''C. olivieri'' and ''C. brunneum'', and the poisonous ''
C. molybdites'', which is widespread in
subtropical
The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...
regions around the world.
List of species
, the nomenclatural database
Index Fungorum
''Index Fungorum'' is an international project to index all formal names ( scientific names) in the fungus kingdom. the project is based at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, one of three partners along with Landcare Research and the Institute of M ...
lists 28 species in the genus.
*''
C. abruptibulbum''
*''
C. africanum''
*''
C. agaricoides''
*''
C. alborubescens''
*''
C. arizonicum''
*''
C. bharatense''
*''
C. brunneum''
*''
C. demangei''
*''
C. globosum''
*''
C. hortense''
*''
C. humei''
*''
C. levantinum''
*''
C. lusitanicum''
*''
C. madagascariense''
*''
C. mammillatum''
*''
C. molybdites''
*''
C. morganii''
*''
C. neomastoideum''
*''
C. nothorachodes''
*''
C. olivieri''
*''
C. paleotropicum''
*''
C. pseudoglobosum''
*''
C. rhacodes''
*''
C. shimogaense''
*''
C. sphaerosporum''
*''
C. subfulvidiscum''
*''
C. subrhacodes''
*''
C. subrhacodes''
*''
C. venenatum''
See also
* ''
Endoptychum
''Endoptychum'' is a genus of secotioid fungi in the family Agaricaceae. Like the majority of secotioid taxa, the individual species of ''Endoptychum'' are thought to be recent mutations from agaricoid species, hence, ''Endoptychum'' is likely no ...
''
References
External links
*
*
Key to ''Chlorophyllum'' in North America
Agaricaceae
Agaricales genera
{{Agaricaceae-stub