Genus of fungi
Clitocybe is a genus of mushrooms characterized by white, off-white, buff, cream, pink, or light-yellow spores, gills running down the stem, and pale white to brown or lilac coloration. They are primarily saprotrophic, decomposing forest ground litter. There are estimated to be around 300 species in the widespread genus.
"Clitocybe" means "sloping head".
A few members of the genus are considered edible; many others are poisonous, containing the toxin muscarine among others. Distinguishing individual species of "Clitocybe" is generally prohibitively difficult to non-experts, requiring the analysis of microscopic characters. Therefore, with the exception of a few charismatic and readily identified members, "Clitocybe" mushrooms are rarely collected for consumption.
Taxonomy.
"Clitocybe" was originally proposed by Elias Fries in 1821 as a tribe in the genus "Agaricus". Friedrich Staude elevated it to generic status in 1857.
Recent molecular work has shown the genus to be polyphyletic: many members are seemingly distantly related and other fungi, such as the field blewit and wood blewit, now known as "Clitocybe saeva" and "C. nuda" respectively, are more closely related.
As "C. nebularis" is the type species, those most distantly related to it would be likely to be reclassified in the future. In a 2003 paper, Finnish mycologist Harri Harmaja proposed "C. geotropa" and twelve other "Clitocybe" species be split off into a new genus "Infundibulicybe" on the basis of spore properties. His "C. clavipes" was later transferred to the genus "Ampulloclitocybe" by Redhead and colleagues, that genus name taking precedence over Harmaja's proposed "Clavicybe". Other former "Clitocybe" species have been placed in the genera "Atractosporocybe", "Leucocybe" and "Rhizocybe".
Toxicity.
The consumption of two species, "Clitocybe acromelalga" from Japan, and "Clitocybe amoenolens" from France, has led to several cases of mushroom-induced erythromelalgia which lasted from 8 days to 5 months.
Many small "Clitocybe" species contain the toxin muscarine, which was originally found in small amounts in the famous fly agaric. However, the small white "Clitocybe" species contain muscarine in dangerous amounts, and two species in particular, the closely related "Clitocybe dealbata" and "Clitocybe rivulosa", contain muscarine in such amounts that deaths have been recorded for eating those two "Clitocybe" species.
Selected species.
Reclassified.
The bioluminescent jack o'lantern mushroom ("Omphalotus olearius") was formerly placed in this genus as "Clitocybe illudens".
References.
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