''Chlorophyllum molybdites,'' which has the

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

s of false parasol, green-spored Lepiota and vomiter, is a widespread mushroom. Poisonous and producing severe gastrointestinal symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, it is commonly conflated with the

shaggy parasol Shaggy parasol is the common name for three closely related species of mushroom, ''Chlorophyllum rhacodes'' (or ''rachodes''), ''C. olivieri'' and ''C. brunneum'', found in North America, Europe and Southern Africa (the latter species is a ...

or shaggy mane, and is the most commonly misidentified poisonous mushroom in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

.Beug, Michael W
An Overview of Mushroom Poisonings in North America.
''The Mycophile'', vol. 45(2):4-5, March/April 2004 Its large size and similarity to the edible

parasol mushroom ''Macrolepiota procera'', the parasol mushroom, is a basidiomycete fungus with a large, prominent fruiting body resembling a parasol. It is a fairly common species on well-drained soils. It is found solitary or in groups and fairy rings in pas ...

, as well as its habit of growing in areas near human habitation, are reasons cited for this. The nature of the poisoning is predominantly gastrointestinal.

Description

It is an imposing mushroom with a pileus (cap) ranging from 8 to 30 cm in diameter, hemispherical and with a flattened top. The cap is whitish in colour with coarse brownish scales. 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 free and white, usually turning dark and green with maturity. It has a rare green

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 ...

. The stipe ranges from 5 to 30 cm tall and bears a double-edged ring. This mushroom lacks the snakeskin pattern that is generally present on the

Distribution and habitat

''Chlorophyllum molybdites'' grows in lawns and parks across eastern

and

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, as well as temperate and subtropical regions around the world. Fruiting bodies generally appear after summer and autumn rains. It appears to have spread to other countries, with reports from

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, and

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

Toxicity

''Chlorophyllum molybdites'' is the most frequently eaten poisonous mushroom in North America. The symptoms are predominantly gastrointestinal in nature, with vomiting, diarrhea and colic, often severe, occurring 1–3 hours after consumption. Although these poisonings can be severe, particularly in children, none have yet resulted in death. Professor James Kimbrough writes:

''Chlorophyllum molybdites'', the green-spored Morgan's Lepiota, is responsible for the greatest number of cases of mushroom poisonings in North America, and in Florida. This is probably due to the fact that it is easily confused with choice edible species such as ''Lepiota procera'' and ''L. rhacodes'', and it is one of the most common mushrooms found on lawns and pastures throughout the country, with the exception of the Pacific Northwest. When eaten raw ''C. molybdites'' produce severe symptoms, including bloody stools, within a couple of hours. When cooked well, or parboiled and decanting the liquid before cooking, others eat and enjoy it. Eilers and Nelso (1974) found a heat-labile, high molecular weight protein which showed an adverse effect when given by intraperitoneal injection into laboratory animals.''Common Florida Mushrooms'', p. 325.

Gallery

File:Chlorophyllum molybdites Crop 2013-09-10.jpg, In

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

File:Chlorophyllum.Molybdites.003.jpg, ''Chlorophyllum molybdites'' File:Chlorophyllum.Molybdites.001.jpg, ''Chlorophyllum molybdites'' File:Chlorophyllum molybdites young.JPG, ''A young false parasol mushroom'' File:Chlorophyllum molybdites spore print.jpg, ''Chlorophyllum molybdites spore print showing its green color'' File:Chlorophyllum molybdites in Argentina.jpg, Chlorophyllum molybdites registered in Escobar, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

References

External links

Mushroom Expert – ''Chlorophyllum molybdites''
* Huffington Post {{Taxonbar, from=Q146693 Poisonous fungi Agaricaceae Fungi found in fairy rings Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America Fungi of Africa