''Clitocybe dealbata'', also known as the ivory funnel, is a small white funnel-shaped toadstool widely found in lawns, meadows and other grassy areas in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. Also known as the sweating mushroom, it derives this name from the symptoms of poisoning. It contains potentially deadly levels of muscarine.

Taxonomy and naming

''Clitocybe dealbata'' was initially described by British naturalist James Sowerby in 1799 as ''Agaricus dealbatus'', its specific epithet derived from the

Late Latin Late Latin ( la, Latinitas serior) is the scholarly name for the form of Literary Latin of late antiquity.Roberts (1996), p. 537. English dictionary definitions of Late Latin date this period from the , and continuing into the 7th century in t ...

verb ''dealbare'' 'to whitewash', inexorably calling to mind the Biblical "whited sepulchre", that is outwardly pleasing but inwardly toxic. It gained its current genus name in 1874 when reclassified by French naturalist

Claude Casimir Gillet Claude Casimir Gillet (19 May 1806 in Dormans, department of Marne – 1 September 1896 in Alençon), was a French botanist and mycologist. He initially trained as a medical doctor and veterinarian. As a veterinarian, he worked for four y ...

. However, this species is often considered a synonym of ''

Clitocybe rivulosa ''Clitocybe rivulosa'', commonly known as the false champignon or fool's funnel, is a poisonous basidiomycete fungus of the large genus ''Clitocybe''. One of several species similar in appearance, it is a small white funnel-shaped toadstool wid ...

'' and according to Bon the name ''C. dealbata'' may be invalid (a

nomen dubium In binomial nomenclature, a ''nomen dubium'' (Latin for "doubtful name", plural ''nomina dubia'') is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application. Zoology In case of a ''nomen dubium'' it may be impossible to determine whether a s ...

) as James Sowerby's definition conflicts with

Elias Magnus Fries Elias Magnus Fries (15 August 1794 – 8 February 1878) was a Swedish mycologist and botanist. Career Fries was born at Femsjö (Hylte Municipality), Småland, the son of the pastor there. He attended school in Växjö. He acquired ...

's.

Description

A small white or white dusted with

buff Buff or BUFF may refer to: People * Buff (surname), a list of people * Buff (nickname), a list of people * Johnny Buff, ring name of American world champion boxer John Lisky (1888–1955) * Buff Bagwell, a ring name of American professional wr ...

-coloured mushroom, the 2–4 cm diameter cap is flattened to depressed with adnate to decurrent crowded white gills. The stipe is 2–4 cm tall and 0.5–1 cm wide. The spore print is white. There is no distinctive taste or smell. It is one of a number of similar poisonous species such as the false champignon (''

'') which can be confused with the edible fairy ring champignon (''

Marasmius oreades ''Marasmius oreades'', also known as the fairy ring mushroom or fairy ring champignon, is a mushroom native to North America and Europe. Its common names can cause some confusion, as many other mushrooms grow in fairy rings, such as the edible ' ...

''), or miller ('' Clitopilus prunulus'').

Distribution and habitat

The ivory funnel is found in grassy habitats in summer and autumn. Often gregarious, it can form

fairy ring A fairy ring, also known as fairy circle, elf circle, elf ring or pixie ring, is a naturally occurring ring or arc of mushrooms. They are found mainly in forested areas, but also appear in grasslands or rangelands. Fairy rings are detectable by ...

s. Unfortunately, they often occur in grassy areas where they may be encountered by children or toddlers. This may increase risk of accidental consumption.Benjamin DR. (1995). ''Mushrooms, Poisons and Panaceas: A Handbook for Naturalists, Mycologists, and Physicians''. W H Freeman & Co.

Toxicity

The main toxic component of ''Clitocybe dealbata'' is muscarine, and thus the symptoms are like those of nerve agent poisoning, namely greatly increased

saliva Saliva (commonly referred to as spit) is an extracellular fluid produced and secreted by salivary glands in the mouth. In humans, saliva is around 99% water, plus electrolytes, mucus, white blood cells, epithelial cells (from which DNA can be ...

tion, sweating (

perspiration Perspiration, also known as sweating, is the production of fluids secreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals. Two types of sweat glands can be found in humans: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. The eccrine sweat glands are distrib ...

), and tearflow ( lacrimation) within 15–30 minutes of ingestion. With large doses, these symptoms may be followed by

abdominal The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the torso. ...

pain, severe

nausea Nausea is a diffuse sensation of unease and discomfort, sometimes perceived as an urge to vomit. While not painful, it can be a debilitating symptom if prolonged and has been described as placing discomfort on the chest, abdomen, or back of the ...

diarrhea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin wi ...

, blurred vision, and labored breathing. Intoxication generally subsides within two hours.

Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

is rare, but may result from arrhythmia or respiratory failure in severe cases. The specific antidotes are

M1 receptor The muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M1, also known as the cholinergic receptor, muscarinic 1, is a muscarinic receptor that in humans is encoded by the ''CHRM1'' gene. It is localized to 11q13. This receptor is found mediating slow EPSP at ...

blockers like

scopolamine Scopolamine, also known as hyoscine, or Devil's Breath, is a natural or synthetically produced tropane alkaloid and anticholinergic drug that is formally used as a medication for treating motion sickness and postoperative nausea and vomiting ...

and

diphenhydramine Diphenhydramine (DPH) is an antihistamine and sedative mainly used to treat allergies, insomnia, and symptoms of the common cold. It is also less commonly used for tremor in parkinsonism, and nausea. It is taken by mouth, injected into a vein ...

References

External links