''Lyophyllum decastes'' is a species of

fungus A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

in the family

Lyophyllaceae The Lyophyllaceae is a family of fungi in the order Agaricales. A 2008 estimate indicated eight genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil orga ...

. It is known as the clustered domecap in the United Kingdom and the fried chicken mushroom in North America. The

basidiocarp In fungi, a basidiocarp, basidiome, or basidioma () is the sporocarp of a basidiomycete, the multicellular structure on which the spore-producing hymenium is borne. Basidiocarps are characteristic of the hymenomycetes; rusts and smuts do no ...

s (fruit bodies) are

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) ...

oid (gilled mushrooms). It forms large clusters on the ground. Considered

edible An edible item is any item that is safe for humans to eat. "Edible" is differentiated from " eatable" because it does not indicate how an item tastes, only whether it is fit to be eaten. Nonpoisonous items found in nature – such as some mushroo ...

, it is cultivated in Asia.

Description

The caps are smooth, varied in color, and range from wide. The whitish-grayish stalks are long and wide. The gills are white but may yellow slightly with age. The firm flesh remains white on exposure. The spores are white.

Similar species

Lyophyllum semitale ''Lyophyllum'' is a genus of about 40 species of fungi, widespread in north temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the ...

'' and '' Pluteus petasatus'' are similar in appearance, as is '' L. fumosum''; it and '' L. loricatum'' are sometimes grouped with ''L. decastes'' as a species complex, lacking distinct differentiating features.

Distribution and habitat

The species was originally described from

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

and is widespread throughout Europe and north

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ran ...

regions. It is prolific in summer and fall until spring on the West Coast of the United States and is widely distributed in North America. It also occurs in eastern temperate Asia. Growing in dense, often huge clusters on the ground, the mushrooms are usually found where the ground has been disturbed such as roadbeds, gravel, paths, landscaping areas, and sometimes in woods.Phyla and decastes description
/ref> It is variously considered

saprotroph Saprotrophic nutrition or lysotrophic nutrition is a process of chemoheterotrophic extracellular digestion involved in the processing of decayed (dead or waste) organic matter. It occurs in saprotrophs, and is most often associated with fungi ...

ic or

ectomycorrhiza An ectomycorrhiza (from Greek ἐκτός ', "outside", μύκης ', "fungus", and ῥίζα ', "root"; ectomycorrhizas or ectomycorrhizae, abbreviated EcM) is a form of symbiotic relationship that occurs between a fungal symbiont, or mycobio ...

Uses

In North America, the species is considered

and occasionally collected in the wild, but there are some reports of

gastric upset Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia or upset stomach, is a condition of impaired digestion. Symptoms may include upper abdominal fullness, heartburn, nausea, belching, or upper abdominal pain. People may also experience feeling full earlier t ...

and possible confusion with poisonous ''

Entoloma ''Entoloma'' is a genus of fungi in the order Agaricales. Called pinkgills in English, basidiocarps (fruit bodies) are typically agaricoid (gilled mushrooms), though a minority are gasteroid. All have salmon-pink basidiospores which colour the ...

'' species or '' Clitocybe dilatata''. The species is commercially cultivated in Japan, where it is known as hatake

shimeji ''Shimeji'' (Japanese: , or ) is a group of edible mushrooms native to East Asia, but also found in northern Europe. ''Hon-shimeji ( Lyophyllum shimeji'') is a mycorrhizal fungus and difficult to cultivate. Other species are saprotrophs, and ...

, and in China, where it is known as luronggu. The fungus is considered to be both a food and a health supplement and is grown on sawdust or bark compost.

References

External links