''Leucopaxillus'' 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 fairly large white-spored

gilled mushrooms 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, along ...

which are found worldwide growing on the ground in woodlands. These are

saprotroph Saprotrophic nutrition or lysotrophic nutrition is a process of chemoheterotrophic extracellular digestion involved in the processing of decayed (dead or waste) organic matter. It occurs in saprotrophs, and is most often associated with fungi (f ...

s, but may sometimes be

ectomycorrhizal An ectomycorrhiza (from Greek ἐκτός ', "outside", μύκης ', "fungus", and ῥίζα ', "root"; pl. ectomycorrhizas or ectomycorrhizae, abbreviated EcM) is a form of symbiotic relationship that occurs between a fungal symbiont, or mycobi ...

. Less than ten species of ''Leucopaxillus'' are known to grow in North America. No species of ''Leucopaxillus'' are known to be poisonous, but they do not have an appealing taste or texture. The widespread genus contains about 15 species. Members of ''Leucopaxillus'' are medium-sized to large, have a dry convex to depressed

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...

, an inrolled margin when young, lack a

partial veil In mycology, a partial veil (also called an inner veil, to differentiate it from the "outer", or universal veil) is a temporary structure of tissue found on the fruiting bodies of some basidiomycete fungi, typically agarics. Its role is to isolate ...

and have tough

flesh Flesh is any aggregation of soft tissues of an organism. Various multicellular organisms have soft tissues that may be called "flesh". In mammals, including humans, ''flesh'' encompasses muscle Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as mu ...

. They have white or yellowish

gills A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

which can come off in a layer, leaving the underside of the cap smooth. The

spores In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...

are white,

amyloid Amyloids are aggregates of proteins characterised by a Fibril, fibrillar morphology of 7–13 Nanometer, nm in diameter, a beta sheet (β-sheet) Secondary structure of proteins, secondary structure (known as cross-β) and ability to be Staining, ...

and spiny. These mushrooms often smell bad and can be mistaken for ''

Tricholoma ''Tricholoma'' is a genus of fungus that contains many fairly fleshy white-spored gilled mushrooms which are found worldwide generally growing in woodlands. These are ectomycorrhizal fungi, existing in a symbiotic relationship with various spec ...

'' and ''

Clitocybe ''Clitocybe'' is a genus of mushrooms characterized by white, off-white, buff, cream, pink, or light-yellow spores, gills running down the stem, and pale white to brown or lilac coloration. They are primarily saprotrophic, decomposing forest grou ...

'', but mushrooms in those genera are more fragile and rot more quickly. Members of ''Leucopaxillus'' have

antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention of ...

s which make the mushrooms persist much longer than most, making them appear to be more common than they actually are.

Selected species

* ''

Leucopaxillus albissimus ''Leucopaxillus albissimus'' is a species of mushroom that lives as a saprobe, decaying the litter under coniferous trees. It produces a large white fruiting body that is unusually resistant to decay. It is considered to be inedible. Descriptio ...

'' * '' Leucopaxillus gentianeus'' * ''

Leucopaxillus giganteus ''Leucopaxillus giganteus'', commonly known as the giant leucopax (formerly as the giant clitocybe) or the giant funnel, is a saprobic species of fungus in the family Tricholomataceae. As its common names imply, the fruit body, or mushroom, c ...

'' * '' Leucopaxillus gracillimus'' * '' Leucopaxillus lepistoides'' * '' Leucopaxillus paradoxus'' * '' Leucopaxillus subzonalis'' * '' Leucopaxillus compactus''

References

External links

Mushroom Expert - The Genus ''Leucopaxillus'' - Includes Key

Selected species

See also

References

External links

Further reading