Among the mushrooms involved in poisonings in Japan, Entoloma rhodopolium ranks among the top three. Known in English as the wood pinkgill, it is a poisonous fungus found across Eurasia and also linked to specimens from North America.
It belongs to the family Entolomataceae, in the order Agaricales, class Agaricomycetes and phylum Basidiomycota. Its toxicity makes it a species that matters to anyone who meets it in the field.
Fruiting Body and Identification
The gray to tannish cap of the wood pinkgill can reach 20 centimeters (8 inches) across. It starts out convex and may develop a central bump, or umbo, as it matures.
The gills are lighter than the cap and release a pinkish spore deposit. The whitish stem grows up to 13 centimeters (about 5 inches) long and 2 centimeters thick. The flesh is firm and white, and it may give off a faint, flour-like smell.
Distribution and Habitat
The wood pinkgill is found across Eurasia, with specimens also linked to North America.
It is seen most often in autumn, with the most sightings in September and October. Sightings are fewest in late winter and early spring, from February through April.
Uses and Cultural History
The wood pinkgill's cultural significance lies mainly in poisoning cases. In Japan it is one of the three fungi most often implicated in mushroom poisoning, alongside Omphalotus japonicus and Tricholoma ustale. It is often mistaken for Entoloma sarcopum, a mushroom that is regarded as edible.
The species causes serious gastrointestinal upset. Muscarine, muscaridine and choline have been isolated from it as its toxic agents.
Photos
Photographs from via iNaturalist, licensed under CC0 1.0., by Виктория Билоус via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by martin_livezey via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by Umut Nuri Erdoğan via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by Andrejus Gaidamavičius via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by Henry Van T. Cotter via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by Johan Adler via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by delognut via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by Dave Bishop via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by Eli Talhouk via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by nasua via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by Alexis Williams via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by Tatyana Davidova via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., and by Shirley Zundell via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., credited on each photo.
Ecology and classification
Classification
- Phylum
- Basidiomycota
- Class
- Agaricomycetes
- Order
- Agaricales
- Family
- Entolomataceae
- Genus
- Entoloma
- Species
- Entoloma rhodopolium
Sources
- GBIF Species names and classification
- iNaturalist Photos
- Wikidata Common names and conservation status
- Wikipedia Summary extract
