''Pluteus'' is a large
genus of
fungi with over 300 species. They are wood rotting
saprobes
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 ...
with pink
spore prints and
gills that are free from the
stem
Stem or STEM may refer to:
Plant structures
* Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang
* Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure
* Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...
.
The Latin word ''Pluteus'' means ''shed or penthouse''.
Characteristics of the genus
Characteristics of the ''Pluteus'' genus are:
#These fungi grow on wood or wood remains.
#The spore powder is deep pink, soon giving a pink tint to the initially pale gills.
#The gills are free from the stipe.
#There is no volva or ring (exception: the rare recently reclassified North American species ''P. mammillatus'', previously ''Chamaeota sphaerospora'').
#Microscopically, they often have abundant, distinctive
cystidia. The spores are smooth and roughly egg-shaped.
''Pluteus'' is separated from ''
Volvariella'' due to the lack of a
volva, and from ''
Entoloma'' by growing on wood and by microscopic features (''Entolomas'' have angular spores).
Naming
The name ''Pluteus'' was established in 1837 by the founding mycologist
Elias Magnus Fries
Elias Magnus Fries (15 August 1794 – 8 February 1878) was a Swedish mycologist and botanist.
Career
Fries was born at Femsjö (Hylte Municipality), Småland, the son of the pastor there. He attended school in Växjö.
He acquired ...
at a time when agaric mushrooms were first being assigned to different genera.
The Latin word "pluteus" has various meanings related to military protective structures and its signification here may be that of a shield (the shape of the cap).
[Etymology section of ]
Remarks on particular species
Some of these mushrooms are edible including ''P. petasatus'' and ''
P. cervinus'', though most people rate their taste and consistency as average at best.
''Pluteus cervinus'' is the best known species in Europe and North America.
Several species of this genus bruise blue and contain
psilocybin including ''
Pluteus brunneidiscus
''Pluteus brunneidiscus'' is a species of agaric fungus in the family Pluteaceae. It was first described scientifically by American mycologist William Alphonso Murrill in 1917. It is found in Europe (Spain) and North America.
Description
Pileus ...
'', ''
Pluteus salicinus
''Pluteus salicinus'' is a European psychedelic mushroom that grows on wood. It is an edible mushroom after parboiling.
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by Christian Hendrik Persoon as ''Agaricus salicinus'' in 1798. Paul Kummer tr ...
'', ''
Pluteus cyanopus'', ''
Pluteus glaucus
''Pluteus glaucus'' is a mushroom in the family Pluteaceae.
Chemistry
0.28% psilocybin, 0.12% psilocin (Stijve and de Meijer 1993).
See also
* List of ''Pluteus'' species
*List of Psilocybin mushrooms
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7205662
F ...
'', ''
Pluteus nigroviridis
''Pluteus nigroviridis'' is a mushroom in the family Pluteaceae. Found in Europe, it was first described scientifically by Hungarian mycologist Margit Babos in 1983.
Chemistry
Fruit bodies of the fungus contain the psychoactive compounds psilo ...
'', ''
Pluteus phaeocyanopus'' and ''
Pluteus villosus
''Pluteus villosus'' is a medicinal mushroom in the Pluteaceae family.
Chemistry
The mushroom contains psilocybin.
See also
*List of Psilocybin mushrooms
Psilocybin mushrooms are mushrooms which contain the hallucinogenic substances psiloc ...
''.
Fungifama site
/ref>
See also
* List of ''Pluteus'' species
References
Further reading
M. Kuo "The Genus ''Pluteus''"
* (on Fondazione Museo Civico di Rovereto)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1156750
Agaricales genera
Taxa named by Elias Magnus Fries