Thursday, 09 February 2012

Giant Clitocybe

Facts
Common Name: 
Giant Clitocybe
Scientific Name: 
Leucopaxillus giganteus
Cap Diameter (mm): 
80-350mm
Stem Height (mm): 
40-75mm
Stem Diameter (mm): 
20-35mm
Information
Description: 

Found growing alone, scattered, or in large arcs and fairy rings in pastures, open woods and woodland clearings with trees present; sometimes in disturbed ground from summer till late autumn.

 
Distribution: 

Uncommon.

Habitat: 

Found growing amongst grass in pastures, hedgerows or on roadsides, often in rings.

Cap: 

Initially convex, then flat, eventually developing a central depression and becoming somewhat funnel-shaped; dry; smooth; the margin inrolled at first, later wavy and sometimes obscurely lined; fragile in age; whitish at first, but buff to tan by maturity.

Flesh: 

White, taste and odour is faint and pleasant.

Gills: 

Decurrent, crowded and forked, creamy becoming nearly tan in age.

Spores: 

Spores are smooth, amyloid, 6.5–7 x 3–4um.

Stem: 

More or less equal; dry; whitish, with tiny fibres that darken in age; stem base has numerous white mycelium.