Lepiota clypeolaria
Lepiota clypeolaria
The shield dapperling or shaggy-stalked Lepiota (Lepiota clypeolaria (Bull.) P. Kumm., 1871) is a mushroom belonging to the Agaricaceae family.
Systematics –
Domain Eukaryota,
Kingdom Fungi,
Division Basidiomycota,
Class Agaricomycetes,
Order Agaricales,
Family Agaricaceae,
Genus Lepiota,
Species L. clypeolaria.
The following are a basionym:
– Agaricus clypeolarius Bull.
The following are synonymous:
– Agaricus clypeolarius var. applanatus Lasch;
– Agaricus clypeolarius var. roseus (Scop.) Fr.;
– Agaricus colubrinus Pers.;
– Agaricus roseus Scop.;
РLepiota clypeolaria (Bull.) Qu̩l.;
– Lepiota clypeolaria f. cedretorum Maire;
– Lepiota clypeolaria f. foetens A.N.Petrov;
– Lepiota clypeolaria f. umbrinosquamosa Hongo;
– Lepiota clypeolaria subsp. parmata Britzelm.;
– Lepiota clypeolaria var. caldariorum Gillet;
– Lepiota clypeolaria var. campanetta Barla;
– Lepiota clypeolaria var. concentrica Gillet;
– Lepiota clypeolaria var. crocea Velen.;
– Lepiota clypeolaria var. minor J.E.Lange;
– Lepiota clypeolaria var. muscariodora Maire;
– Lepiota clypeolaria var. ochraceosulfurescens (Locq. ex Bon) P.Roux & Guy GarcÃa;
– Lepiota clypeolaria var. pantherina Gillet;
– Lepiota clypeolaria var. rosea Gillet;
– Lepiota colubrina Gray;
– Lepiota colubrina subsp. pantherina Gray;
– Lepiota colubrina var. pantherina Gray;
– Lepiota ochraceosulfurescens Locq.;
– Lepiota ochraceosulfurescens Locq. ex Bon;
– Lepiota ventriosospora var. umbrinosquamosa (Hongo) Bon.
Etymology –
The term Lepiota comes from the Greek λεπίϛ λεπίδοϛ lepÃs lepÃdos squama and from οὖς, ωτόϛ oús, otós ear (cap): mushroom with a scaly cap.
The specific epithet clypeolaria comes from the Latin clypeus, meaning shield, due to the shape of its cap.
Geographical Distribution and Habitat –
Lepiota clypeolaria is a mushroom that grows and develops singly or in small groups on the ground in deciduous and coniferous forests.
It is a common species, widespread in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere and has been reported in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. In China, it is known from the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Yunnan.
Its habitat is that of humus-rich soils of broadleaf forests, not disdaining coniferous forests, it bears fruit from late summer until autumn.
Identification –
Lepiota clypeolaria is a small to medium-sized mushroom with a 4-8 cm cap, semiglobular when young, campanulate-convex when mature, and finally plano-convex. It normally has a fairly broad and obtuse umbo.
The cuticle is compact only in the discal area; elsewhere, it is dissociated, even in its infancy, into minute tawny-ochre scales on a whitish background. These scales are arranged concentrically, becoming sparser near the margin, and tend to disintegrate as the mushroom ages, making the whitish fibrils on the background more visible. The margin protrudes, appendiculate, and remains so even in old age.
The gills are moderately dense, unequal, and interspersed with lamellules of varying lengths. They are whitish but slightly yellowish when handled, with a concolorous thread, rather denticulate, and floccose when observed under a magnifying glass.
The stipe is 7-10 × 0.5-0.8 cm, cylindrical, slender, with a characteristic swelling toward the base, where it can also become curved, stringy, rapidly hollow, delicate, and fragile. The tip is slightly striated, elsewhere almost entirely covered with whitish flakes and decorated with irregular, honey-colored scales, whitish toward the base, and slightly browning when touched. The annulus is poorly defined and fleeting.
The flesh is very delicate, sparse in the cap, stringy on the stipe, whitish in color, tinged with yellowish in the cortex, with an odor reminiscent of Lepiota cristata, and an inappreciable or slightly acidic flavor.
A white spore print is visible under microscopy. The spores are fusiform, tapered at both ends. They measure 12–16 by 5–6 μm. The cystidia on the gill margin (cheilocystidia) vary in shape from clubbed to cylindrical and measure 20–40 μm by 5–15 μm.
Cultivation –
Lepiota clypeolaria is an uncultivated mushroom.
Uses and Traditions –
Lepiota clypeolaria is a mushroom species first described in 1789 as Agaricus clypeolarius by French mycologist Jean Baptiste Francois Bulliard. Paul Kummer transferred it to Lepiota in 1871.
It is known by various common names, such as “lepiota en escudo” in Spanish, “shield dapperling” or “shaggy-stalked Lepiota” in English, and “lepiota pelosa” or “lepiota ruvida” in Italian.
L. clypeolaria is probably the best-known member of the Fusisporae section of the Lepiota genus, whose members are characterized by long, spindle-shaped spores and a downy stalk beneath the ring.
Related species include:
– Lepiota ochraceosulfurescens can be distinguished by the presence of a less defined dark area in the center of the cap, a rubbery or melted butter odor, and yellow flesh at the base of the stalk, but the Fungorum and Funga Nordica species consider this name synonymous.
– Lepiota magnispora has a similar appearance, but features brighter colors, a more intense cap center, and longer spores.
– Lepiota ventriosospora could be considered a “look-alike”; macroscopic distinguishing features are observed in the remnant of the veil, which is markedly yellowish rather than white.
– Lepiota ignivolvata is more robust in size, has a more prominent and obliquely arranged ring with a characteristically orange margin, browning with age, and a less floccose stipe with a reddish-orange color at the base, a characteristic best observed with advanced age or after handling. The fragility of the fruiting bodies would preclude confusion with edible species.
L. clypeolaria is considered poisonous, but more importantly, it resembles some of the most lethal species of its genus. However, its toxicity is insufficiently understood, requiring further investigation and evaluation.
Preparation Instructions –
Due to its toxic characteristics, harvesting and consumption of this mushroom are not recommended, also for ecological reasons.
Guido Bissanti
Sources
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Cetto B., 2008. I funghi dal vero, Saturnia, Trento.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora d’Italia, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (eds.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
Photo source:
– https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54091153825_035ac7b1e2_b.jpg
Warning: The pharmaceutical applications and dietary uses are provided for informational purposes only and do not in any way constitute medical prescriptions. We therefore decline any responsibility for their use for curative, aesthetic, or nutritional purposes.