''Clitocybe odora'', also known as the aniseed toadstool, is a blue-green

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 ...

that grows near

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, a ...

and coniferous trees. They can be found growing in small groups along the side of tree roots. This mushroom is edible, but a few expert

mushroom hunter Mushroom hunting, mushrooming, mushroom picking, mushroom foraging, and similar terms describe the activity of gathering mushrooms in the wild, typically for culinary use. This practice is popular throughout most of Europe, Australia, Japan, ...

s insist that young specimens should be avoided as can be confused with '' Stropharia aeruginosa''. The

anise Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to Eurasia. The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, such as star anise, fennel, licorice, and t ...

odor is due to the presence of ''p''-anisaldehyde and a small amount of

benzaldehyde Benzaldehyde (C6H5CHO) is an organic compound consisting of a benzene ring with a formyl substituent. It is the simplest aromatic aldehyde and one of the most industrially useful. It is a colorless liquid with a characteristic almond-like odor. ...

. This odor can give away the mushroom's presence before it is observed by eye.

Taxonomy

First described by the French mycologist Jean Baptiste Francois Pierre Bulliard (1742–1793). The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''odora'' is from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

meaning "perfumed".

Description

Young specimens have a light blue texture on 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 ...

which fades to grey in age. 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 ...

and

stem Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushr ...

are white with no

ring Ring may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell :(hence) to initiate a telephone connection Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...

. Full grown specimens have blue-green, flowery, cup-shaped caps; the gills are creamy white, or reflect the blue-green color of the cap. The cap's surface feels rough. The stem is thick, is attached to the gills with no rings, and is textured, with a pale-yellow colour. The younger ones have a bell-shaped cap with a light blue or icy blue colour. The gills and stem are white, or bluish green. It has a strong scent and taste of

aniseed Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to Eurasia. The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, such as star anise, fennel, licorice, and ta ...

, hence its name. There is a white

variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

(''Clitocybe odora var.alba''

Lange Lange may refer to: People * Lange (surname), a German surname *Lange (musician) (born 1974), British DJ *Lange (Brazilian footballer) (born 1966), Brazilian footballer Companies * Lange (ski boots), a producer of ski boots used in alpine (downh ...

) that has the same strong odour. File:2011-11-20 Clitocybe odora (Bull.) P. Kumm 183658.jpg File:Anistrichterling003.JPG, Gills and stipe File:Clitocybe odora - Lindsey 3a.jpg, Cap File:Trichterling Anis-.JPG, Cap File:The fragrant agaric or aniseed toadstool (Clitocybe odora); Wellcome V0043338.jpg, ''Clitocybe odora'' four fruiting bodies. Watercolour, 1887. Iconographic Collections

Distribution and habitat

Found in both

, and coniferous woods, it is widespread in the temperate zones, occurring in Asia, Europe, and North America. On the East Coast of North America it favours

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

woodland, but it is often abundant in the coniferous forests of the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...

Edibility

The caps can be dried, and used as a condiment, or used fresh for flavouring. Mushroom hunters should be sure to pick mature ones, mainly because the younger ones can be confused with several similar poisonous ones that grow along with this mushroom. Every part of the mushroom should be examined before collecting for the table. Also, the stem and the cut cap should be checked to see if there are any fly larvae. Some guides recommend avoiding eating the species.

References

External links

* *
Volatile composition of fresh Clitocybe odora fruiting bodies

Mycologia - The anise-like odor of Clitocybe odora, Lentinellus cochleatus and Agaricus essettei

{{Taxonbar, from=Q913466 odora Edible fungi Fungi of Europe Taxa named by Jean Baptiste François Pierre Bulliard Fungi described in 1784