Entoloma bloxami

[Basidiomycetes > Agaricales > Entolomataceae > Entoloma . . . ]

by Michael Kuo

A large, sticky, bluish gray to purplish gray Entoloma, reminiscent of a Russula, can be found in the southeastern United States, the Pacific Northwest, and in Europe--and a large, sticky, taxonomic mess accompanies this distinctive mushroom. Two names, Entoloma bloxami and Entoloma madidum, are hotly contended, and mycologists disagree on how to apply them. At issue are various minor differences in physical features and, as always, how to apply the international rules for naming species. Here I have followed Largent (1994).

What often gets lost in the debate, however, is one thing that might make things simpler and, frankly, more indicative of Entoloma evolution: ecology. The Scandinavian and British versions of species are saprobic on grass litter (see Irene Andersson's photo from Sweden, to the right), while the central European and North American versions are woodland saprobes, decomposing forest litter. I will eat my hat if DNA evidence does not someday support the separation of separate taxa on this ecological distinction.

Meanwhile, don't eat the mushrooms, whatever they're called. While the grass-loving European species is sometimes reported to be edible, I doubt it is the same as our mushroom. If I'm wrong, I will be dining on felt and cardboard--but if I am right, you could be dining on something much more dangerous. If you really have an urge for blue food, try Lactarius indigo.

Description:

Ecology: Saprobic; growing alone, scattered, or gregariously under hardwoods or in mixed woods in southeastern North America--or under madrone or tanoak in northern California, or under hardwoods or conifers in the Pacific Northwest; usually in damp areas; fall (fall and winter on the West Coast).

Cap: 4-9 cm in southeastern North America, 5-15 cm in the Pacific Northwest; convex or broadly conical, becoming broadly convex, broadly bell-shaped, or flat; slimy or sticky when fresh; smooth, wrinkled, or finely hairy; bluish gray to purplish gray or nearly black.

Gills: Attached to the stem (often by a notch) or nearly free from it; close; white or with bluish to purplish shades at first, eventually pinkish.

Stem: 5-10 cm by up to 1.5 cm thick in southeastern North America, 4-15 cm by up to 3 cm in the Pacific Northwest; equal, or tapered downward (sometimes swollen in the middle); solid and hard; silky or finely hairy; whitish to yellowish at the base, tinged with the cap color above.

Flesh: Thick; white.

Odor and Taste: Taste mild or mealy; odor mild or mealy.

Spore Print: Pink.

Microscopic Features: Spores 7-9 x 6-7.5 µ; 5- or 6-sided. Cuticle gelatinized.

"Entoloma bloxamii" (with two I's) is a Latin mistake made by the original authors of the species (Berkeley & Broome, 1854). According to the official rules for such things, we may be stuck with the misspelling, and the corrected Entoloma bloxami is taxonomically incorrect.

REFERENCES: (Berkeley & Broome, 1854) Saccardo, 1887. (Saccardo, 1887; Hesler, 1967; Smith, Smith & Weber, 1979; Noordeloos, 1981; Arora, 1986; Lincoff, 1992; Largent, 1994; Ramsey, 1996; Roody, 2003.)

Further Online Information:

Entoloma bloxami at MykoWeb

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Cite this page as:

Kuo, M. (2008, January). Entoloma bloxami. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/entoloma_bloxami.html