''Tricholoma aurantium'', commonly known as the golden orange tricholoma, is a

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 ...

of the

agaric An agaric () is a type of fungus fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus (cap) that is clearly differentiated from the stipe (stalk), with lamellae (gills) on the underside of the pileus. In the UK, agarics are called "mushroom ...

genus ''

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 s ...

''. Originally described by

Jacob Christian Schäffer Jacob Christian Schäffer, alternatively Jakob, (31 May 1718 – 5 January 1790) was a German dean, professor, botanist, mycologist, entomologist, ornithologist and inventor. Biography From 1736 to 1738 he studied Theology at the Universit ...

in 1774, it was transferred to the genus ''

'' by Adalbert Ricken in 1915.

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 ...

is broadly convex to more or less flat, measuring wide with an margin that is initially rolled inward. Fresh specimens are sticky or slimy. The cap color is orange to dull reddish-orange. Parts that have been handled bruise dark red. The surface texture ranges from smooth to covered with scattered appressed fibrils and scales. The closely spaced

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 whitish, but develop brownish to reddish-brown stains in maturity. They are narrowly attached to the stipe, sometimes by a notch. The often hollow stipe measures long by thick, and is either roughly the same width throughout, or tapers slightly to the base. Its surface is covered with dense orangish scales that terminate in a line near the top of the stipe, where it is white. The white, mealy tasting

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 muscles, fats and other loose connective tissues, but ...

does not change color with injury. 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 white.

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, ...

are smooth, ellipsoid, and inamyloid, measuring 5–6 by 3–4 µm. The mushroom is inedible.

Habitat and distribution

The fungus grows in a mycorrhizal relationships with various species of conifers. Fruit bodies grow scattered or in groups or clusters on the ground. ''Tricholoma aurantium'' is widely distributed in North America. It is found in Asia (India, Pakistan). The ectomycorrhizae of ''T. aurantium'' has been reported with ''

Pinus wallichiana ''Pinus wallichiana'' is a coniferous evergreen tree native to the Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountains, from eastern Afghanistan east across northern Pakistan and north west India to Yunnan in southwest China. It grows in mountain valle ...

'' and ''

Abies pindrow ''Abies pindrow'', the pindrow fir or west Himalayan fir, is a fir native to the western Himalaya and adjacent mountains, from northeast Afghanistan east through northern Pakistan and India to central Nepal. Description It is a large e ...

'' in Pakistan, and with

silver fir Silver fir is a common name for several trees and may refer to: *''Abies alba ''Abies alba'', the European silver fir or silver fir, is a fir native to the mountains of Europe, from the Pyrenees north to Normandy, east to the Alps and the Car ...

(''Abies alba'') in Italy.

Chemistry

''Tricholoma aurantium'' fruitbodies contains the novel

diterpene Diterpenes are a class of chemical compounds composed of four isoprene units, often with the molecular formula C20H32. They are biosynthesized by plants, animals and fungi via the HMG-CoA reductase pathway, with geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate being ...

lactone Lactones are cyclic carboxylic esters, containing a 1-oxacycloalkan-2-one structure (), or analogues having unsaturation or heteroatoms replacing one or more carbon atoms of the ring. Lactones are formed by intramolecular esterification of the co ...

compounds trichoaurantianolides A, B, C and D. The bright orange-red color is due to the benzotropolone pigment aurantricholone. The first

total synthesis Total synthesis is the complete chemical synthesis of a complex molecule, often a natural product, from simple, commercially-available precursors. It usually refers to a process not involving the aid of biological processes, which distinguishes i ...

of trichoaurantianolides C and D was reported in 2015.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q458173 aurantium Fungi described in 1774 Fungi of Asia Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America Inedible fungi Taxa named by Jacob Christian Schäffer

Description

Habitat and distribution

Chemistry

See also

References