''Conocybe aurea'' is a basidiomycete fungus in the family Bolbitiaceae.

Taxonomy

The fungus was first described to science in 1930 by German mycologist Julius Schäffer, who called it ''Galera aurea''.

Tsuguo Hongo was a Japanese mycologist who specialized in the biogeography and taxonomy of Agaricales. Hongo entered the Department of Biology at what is now Hiroshima University in 1943, where he studied botany until graduating in 1946 with a B.Sc. Hongo ...

transferred it to the genus '' Conocybe'' in 1963. In 2000, Anton Hausknecht published the variety ''C. aurea'' var. ''hololeuca'', but this taxon is not considered to have independent

taxonomic Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

significance by Index Fungorum. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''aurea'', meaning gold-coloured, refers to the fruitbody colour. The species is related to ''

Conocybe tenera ''Conocybe tenera'' is a widely distributed member of the genus ''Conocybe''. This mushroom is the type species for the genus ''Conocybe''. Description ''Conocybe tenera'' is a small saprotrophic mushroom with a conic to convex cap and is smo ...

''.

Habitat and distribution

''Conocybe aurea'' is a saprobic fungus that prefers to grow in

nitrate Nitrate is a polyatomic ion A polyatomic ion, also known as a molecular ion, is a covalent bonded set of two or more atoms, or of a metal complex, that can be considered to behave as a single unit and that has a net charge that is not zer ...

-rich soils, fields, woodchip mulch, old compost, and

greenhouse A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of Transparent ceramics, transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic condit ...

s. A rare but widespread species, it is found in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America.

Description

The cap is orangish yellow, and up to 5 cm in diameter. The gills and stipe are beige, the former browning with age.

Toxicity

The toxicity is unknown. Related species are known to be toxic.

Similar species

Conocybe apala ''Conocybe apala'' is a basidiomycete fungus and a member of the genus ''Conocybe''. It is a fairly common fungus, both in North America and Europe, found growing among short green grass. Until recently, the species was also commonly called ''Co ...

'' is common, but with a whiter and more fragile conical cap.

References

External links

* Bolbitiaceae Fungi described in 1930 Fungi of Asia Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America Fungi of South America {{Agaricales-stub