''Leucocoprinus flavescens'' is a species of

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is t ...

-producing

fungus 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 th ...

in the family

Agaricaceae The Agaricaceae are a family of basidiomycete fungi and include the genus ''Agaricus'', as well as basidiomycetes previously classified in the families Tulostomataceae, Lepiotaceae, and Lycoperdaceae. Taxonomy The family Agaricaceae was publishe ...

Taxonomy

It was first described in 1907 by the American mycologist

Andrew Price Morgan Andrew Price Morgan (27 October 1836 – 19 October 1907) was an American debater. He investigated the flora of the Miami Valley in Ohio. While his interest included flowering plants, as noted by his ''Flora of the Miami Valley, Ohio'', his speci ...

who classified it as ''Lepiota flavescens'' and reclassified as ''Leucocoprinus flavescens'' by the American botanist and mycologist

Helen Vandervort Smith Helen may refer to: People * Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology, the most beautiful woman in the world * Helen (actress) (born 1938), Indian actress * Helen (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Places * Helen, ...

in 1981.

Description

''Leucocoprinus flavescens'' is a small mushroom with very thin white to pale yellow flesh. Cap: 1–2.5cm or up to 4cm at the extreme. Ovoid to campanulate (bell shaped) with an umbo before flattening or becoming convex with age. The surface is pale greenish-yellow and is covered in fine powdery scales with smooth striations whilst the central disk is brownish but smooth. Stem: 2–6 cm and 1–2 mm in thickness with a slightly swollen base of 3–5 mm thick where white mycelium may be present. The stem surface is pale sulphur-yellow and is likewise covered with fine powdery scales like the cap though these may disappear with age leaving the stem smooth and it sometimes discolours reddish-brown. The fragile stem ring is pale yellow and located towards the top of the stem (superior) but it may disappear. Gills: Free, close and yellowish. Spore print: White. Spores: Ellipsoid, smooth. 4–6.5 × 3.5–4.5 μm. Taste: Bitter. Smell: Indistinct.

Habitat and distribution

In a 1907 study Morgan documented ''Lepiota flavescens'' growing on the ground under

Robinia ''Robinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae, tribe Robinieae, native to North America. Commonly known as locusts, they are deciduous trees and shrubs growing tall. The leaves are pinnate with 7–21 oval leaflets. The flowe ...

and

Gleditsia ''Gleditsia'' (honey locust) is a genus of trees in the family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae, native to North America and Asia. The Latin name commemorates Johann Gottlieb Gleditsch, director of the Berlin Botanical Garden, who died in 1 ...

trees in Southern Ohio whereas Smith documented the species from greenhouses in Southern California and Massachusetts. It has also been documented in Illinois and in 2010 it was recorded in Washington state where it was found growing in large clusters in a covered outdoors container filled with potting soil intended for a greenhouse. ''L. flavescens'' is not very well known and not often recorded. It is likely that it is often misclassified as other ''Leucocoprinus'' species which are simply more well known or more commonly suggested by identification algorithms used by the public such as

iNaturalist iNaturalist is a social network of naturalists, citizen scientists, and biologists built on the concept of mapping and sharing observations of biodiversity across the globe. iNaturalist may be accessed via its website or from its mobile applic ...

. The limited number of observations which have been made suggest the species is uncommon but that it has a widespread distribution in the United States with observations also made in

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

Similar species

* ''

Leucocoprinus birnbaumii ''Leucocoprinus birnbaumii'' is a species of gilled mushroom in the family Agaricaceae. It is common in the tropics and subtropics. However, in temperate regions, it frequently occurs in greenhouses and flowerpots, hence its common names of flowe ...

'' may be the most common species which ''L. flavescens'' is confused with simply because it is so well know. However ''L. flavescens is'' noticeably paler, less yellow and has more fragile flesh. * ''

Leucocoprinus fragilissimus ''Leucocoprinus fragilissimus'', commonly known as the fragile dapperling, is a species of gilled mushroom in the family Agaricaceae. Taxonomy As with many of the most well known ''Leucocoprinus'' species the taxonomic history of this species i ...

'' may also be confused with it however ''L. flavescens'' is less fragile than this species. * ''

Leucocoprinus straminellus ''Leucocoprinus straminellus'' is a species of mushroom producing fungus in the family Agaricaceae. Like other ''Leucocoprinus'' species it may have originated in a tropical climate but now finds a home in plant pots, greenhouses and compost pi ...

'' is described similarly with some sources suggesting they may be synonymous although they appear to have different sized spores and different coloured cap centres.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q107989992 Agaricaceae Leucocoprinus Fungi described in 1907