''Pluteus cervinus'', also known as ''Pluteus atricapillus'' and commonly known as the deer shield or the deer or fawn mushroom, is a mushroom that belongs to the large genus ''

Pluteus ''Pluteus'' is a large genus of fungi with over 300 species. They are wood rotting saprobes with pink spore prints and gills that are free from the stem. The Latin word ''Pluteus'' means ''shed or penthouse''. Characteristics of the genus ...

''. It is found on rotten logs, roots and tree stumps and is widely distributed. It can also grow on sawdust and other wood waste. Being very variable in appearance, it has been divided into several varieties or subspecies, some of which are sometimes considered species in their own right. It is edible when young, but considered by some to be of poor quality and is not often collected for the table.

Taxonomy

The species name, ''cervinus'', although generally thought to refer to the colour of the cap, actually refers to antler-like protrusions on its prominent thick-walled

pleurocystidia A cystidium (plural cystidia) is a relatively large cell found on the sporocarp of a basidiomycete (for example, on the surface of a mushroom gill), often between clusters of basidia. Since cystidia have highly varied and distinct shapes that ar ...

(of which there can be one to three).Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month
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Description

The

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 ...

ranges from in diameter. Initially it is bell-shaped, and often wrinkled when young. Later it expands to a convex shape. The cap can be deer-brown, but vary from light ochre-brown to dark brown, with a variable admixture of grey or black. The centre of the cap may be darker. The cap surface is smooth and matte to silky-reflective. The cap skin shows dark radial fibres when seen through a lens, indicating that the microscopic cuticle structure is filamentous. The

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 ...

are initially white, but soon show a distinctive pinkish sheen, caused by the ripening spores. The stipe is 5–12 cm long and 0.5–2 cm in diameter, usually thicker at the base. It is white and covered with brown vertical fibrils. The flesh is soft and white. The mushroom has a mild to earthy radish smell and a mild taste at first, which may become slightly bitter. The spore size is approximately 8×5μ, and the individual spores are elliptical and smooth. The

spore print 300px, Making a spore print of the mushroom ''Volvariella volvacea'' shown in composite: (photo lower half) mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; (photo upper half) cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print. A 3.5-centimeter ...

is salmon-pink to reddish brown. It grows on logs and stumps, and can be found most commonly in the spring and fall.

Similar species

The species looks similar to some dangerous ''

Entoloma ''Entoloma'' is a large genus of terrestrial pink-gilled mushrooms, with about 1,000 species. Most have a drab appearance, pink gills which are attached to the stem, a smooth thick cap, and angular spores. Many entolomas are saprobic but some ...

'' species, which also have pink spore prints but grow on the ground. Other similar species include ''P. atromarginatus'', ''P. romellii'', and ''P. petasatus''.

Gallery

Image:Pluteus cervinus in situ.jpg, Mature P. cervinus Image:Young Pluteus cervinus in situ.jpg, Young P. cervinus Image:Pluteus.cervinus.cystidia.400x.JPG, Cystidia with apical projections Image:Pluteus.cervinus.spores.1000x.jpg, ''Pluteus cervinus'' spores Image:Pluteus cervinus01.jpg, ''Pluteus cervinus''

Citations

References

*This article is partly translated from the German page. *Meinhard Moser: ''Basidiomycetes II: Röhrlinge und Blätterpilze'', Gustav Fischer Verlag Stuttgart (1978). English edition: translated by Simon Plant: ''Keys to Agarics and Boleti'' (Roger Phillips 1983) *Régis Courtecuisse, Bernard Duhem : ''Guide des champignons de France et d'Europe'' (Delachaux & Niestlé, 1994-2000). {{Taxonbar, from=Q790598 Edible fungi cervinus Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America Fungi described in 1871 Taxa named by Jacob Christian Schäffer

Taxonomy

Description

Similar species

Gallery

See also

Citations

References