''Inocybe whitei'', also known as ''Inocybe pudica'' and commonly known as the blushing inocybe, is a species of

agaric An agaric () is a type of fungal fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus (cap) that is clearly differentiated from the stipe (stalk), with lamellae (gills) on the underside of the pileus. It is a type of mushroom (or toadstool) ...

fungus in the family

Cortinariaceae The Cortinariaceae are a large family of gilled mushrooms found worldwide, containing over 3200 species. The family takes its name from its largest genus, the varied species of the genus ''Cortinarius''. Many genera formerly in the Cortinariaceae ...

Taxonomy

The species was originally defined as ''Agaricus whitei'' by

Miles Joseph Berkeley Miles Joseph Berkeley (1 April 1803 – 30 July 1889) was an English cryptogamist and clergyman, and one of the founders of the science of plant pathology. Life Berkeley was born at Biggin Hall, Benefield, Northamptonshire, and educated at ...

and

Christopher Edmund Broome Christopher Edmund Broome (24 July 1812 – 15 November 1886) was a British mycologist. Background and education C.E. Broome was born in Berkhamsted, the son of a solicitor. He was privately schooled in Kensington and in 1832 was sent to read ...

in 1876 and transferred to the genus ''

Inocybe ''Inocybe'' is a genus of mushroom-forming fungi, with over 1,000 species. Its members are mycorrhizal, and some evidence shows that the high degree of speciation is due to adaptation to different trees and possibly also local habitats. Taxonomy ...

'' by

Pier Andrea Saccardo Pier Andrea Saccardo (23 April 1845 in Treviso, Province of Treviso, Treviso – 12 February 1920 in Padua, Italy, Padua) was an Italian botany, botanist and mycology, mycologist. His multi-volume ''Sylloge Fungorum'' was one of the first attempt ...

in 1887. The species was also described independently as ''Inocybe pudica'' by

Robert Kühner Robert Kühner (15 March 1903 in Paris – 27 February 1996 in Lyon) was a French mycologist most notable for reviewing many forms of agaric (mushroom fungus) genera. He studied at the University of Paris, Sorbonne, afterwards from 1921 until ...

in 1947. Nowadays the two names are considered synonyms, with Berkeley and Broome's name taking precedence. The epithet ''whitei'' was given in honour of Dr. Buchanan White, a naturalist of

Perthshire Perthshire (Scottish English, locally: ; ), officially the County of Perth, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore, Angus and Perth & Kinross, Strathmore ...

Description

The mushroom is initially white then develops reddish stains. 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. The origin of the word "cap" comes from the Old French word "chapeau" which means "head co ...

is wide and conical, then convex to flat with an umbo. The gills vary in attachment and are pallid at first, but darken with maturity. The

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 warm orange ("tussock") color spore print. ...

is brown. The stalk is 4–8 cm long and 0.5–1 cm thick. The flesh has an unpleasant or spermatic odor. The

spores In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual (in fungi) or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plant ...

are brown, elliptical, and smooth.

Similar species

Similar species include '' Inocybe adaequata'', '' I. fraudans'', and '' Hygrophorus russula''.

Toxicity

The species is considered

poisonous A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figurati ...

as it contains

muscarine Muscarine, L-(+)-muscarine, or muscarin is a Secondary metabolite, natural product found in certain mushrooms, particularly in ''Inocybe'' and ''Clitocybe'' species, such as the deadly ''Clitocybe dealbata, C. dealbata''. Mushrooms in the g ...

References

whitei Fungi described in 1887 Fungi of North America Poisonous fungi Fungus species {{Agaricales-stub

Taxonomy

Description

Similar species

Toxicity

See also

References