''Hebeloma'' 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
fungi
A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...
in the family
Hymenogastraceae
The Hymenogastraceae is a family of fungi in the order Agaricales with both agaric and false-truffle shaped fruitbodies. Formerly, prior to molecular analyses, the family was restricted to the false-truffle genera. The mushroom genus ''Psilocybe' ...
.
Found worldwide, it contains the poison pie or fairy cakes ''(
Hebeloma crustuliniforme
''Hebeloma crustuliniforme'', commonly known as poison pie or fairy cakes, is a gilled mushroom of the genus '' Hebeloma'' found in Europe and North America, and has been introduced into Australia. Its specific name derives from the Latin ''c ...
)'' and the ghoul fungus ''(
H. aminophilum)'', from
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
, which grows on rotting animal remains.
Etymology
The generic name is a compound
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...
word ''hēbē'' (ἥβη), "youth" or "puberty" and the suffix -''loma'' (λόμα), a fringe (pertaining to the
fungal veil). Thus, ''Hebeloma'' translates as "fringe of youth", in reference to how the fungal veil is only seen in immature specimens.
Taxonomic placement
The placement of the genus ''Hebeloma'' within the fungal taxonomic tree has varied over time. Historically it has been most often placed in the order
Agaricales
The fungal order Agaricales, also known as gilled mushrooms (for their distinctive gills) or euagarics, contains some of the most familiar types of mushrooms. The order has 33 extant families, 413 genera, and over 13,000 described species, alo ...
but was placed
Cortinariales in the 8th edition of the Dictionary of the Fungi. The most recent inter-generic placement (Knudsen & Vesterholt, 2nd ed, 2012)) places it the family
Hymenogastraceae
The Hymenogastraceae is a family of fungi in the order Agaricales with both agaric and false-truffle shaped fruitbodies. Formerly, prior to molecular analyses, the family was restricted to the false-truffle genera. The mushroom genus ''Psilocybe' ...
within
Agaricales
The fungal order Agaricales, also known as gilled mushrooms (for their distinctive gills) or euagarics, contains some of the most familiar types of mushrooms. The order has 33 extant families, 413 genera, and over 13,000 described species, alo ...
.
Hebeloma.org historical background
/ref>
See also
* List of ''Hebeloma'' species
References
External links
*
Taxa named by Elias Magnus Fries
Agaricales genera
{{Hymenogastraceae-stub