Entoloma austroprunicolor
Encyclopedia
Entoloma austroprunicolor is a species of fungus
in the Entolomataceae
family of mushroom
s. First formally described in 2007 by Australian mycologist Genevieve Gates and Dutch mycologist Machiel Noordeloos, this species is found in Australia. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin
austro- "southern", and prunicolor "plum-coloured". The type
collection was collected at Kermandie Falls, near Geeveston
in southern Tasmania. Within the genus Entoloma
, it is classified in the subgenus Leptonia, section Cyanula. It resembles the European species Entoloma queletii, but the latter species fades to an ochre colour and has different microscopic features.
The cap
measures 1 to 5 cm (0.4–2 in) in diameter, and is convex or umbonate (with a central rounded elevation resembling a nipple). It is bluish-purple when young before reddening to a reddish-purple before fading to a more purplish-grey colour. The adnate gills are crowded closely together, and white initially before becoming tinged with pink from the developing spores. The spore print
is pink, and the angular spores
measure 10–13 x 6–9 μm
. The thin stipe
measures 3–7.5 cm tall and 0.2–0.6 cm wide, and is white or nearly white. The smell and taste are indistinct, although the latter has been described as peppery or radish-like. Its edibility is unknown.
It is a common mushroom of wet sclerophyll
forests in Tasmania
. In a study of the distribution of mushroom species in this area, it was found to occur only in mature or uncut forests.
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
in the Entolomataceae
Entolomataceae
The Entolomataceae, also known as Rhodophyllaceae are a large family of pink spored terrestrial gilled mushrooms which includes the genera Entoloma, Rhodocybe, and Clitopilus. The family collectively contains over 1500 species, the large majority of which are in Entoloma...
family of mushroom
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
s. First formally described in 2007 by Australian mycologist Genevieve Gates and Dutch mycologist Machiel Noordeloos, this species is found in Australia. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
austro- "southern", and prunicolor "plum-coloured". The type
Biological type
In biology, a type is one particular specimen of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached...
collection was collected at Kermandie Falls, near Geeveston
Geeveston, Tasmania
Geeveston is a small Australian town located in the south of Tasmania on the Huon River, 62 km south west of Hobart, making it Australia's most southerly administrative centre. The town takes its name from William Geeves, an English settler who was given a land grant by Lady Jane Franklin in the...
in southern Tasmania. Within the genus Entoloma
Entoloma
Entoloma is a large genus of terrestrial pink-gilled mushrooms, with about 1000 species. They have a drab appearance, pink gills which are attached to the stem, a smooth thick cap, and angular spores. Most entolomas are saprobic...
, it is classified in the subgenus Leptonia, section Cyanula. It resembles the European species Entoloma queletii, but the latter species fades to an ochre colour and has different microscopic features.
The cap
Pileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
measures 1 to 5 cm (0.4–2 in) in diameter, and is convex or umbonate (with a central rounded elevation resembling a nipple). It is bluish-purple when young before reddening to a reddish-purple before fading to a more purplish-grey colour. The adnate gills are crowded closely together, and white initially before becoming tinged with pink from the developing spores. The spore print
Spore print
thumb|300px|right|Making a spore print of the mushroom Volvariella volvacea shown in composite: mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print...
is pink, and the angular spores
Basidiospore
A basidiospore is a reproductive spore produced by Basidiomycete fungi. Basidiospores typically each contain one haploid nucleus that is the product of meiosis, and they are produced by specialized fungal cells called basidia. In grills under a cap of one common species in the phylum of...
measure 10–13 x 6–9 μm
Micrometre
A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...
. The thin stipe
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
measures 3–7.5 cm tall and 0.2–0.6 cm wide, and is white or nearly white. The smell and taste are indistinct, although the latter has been described as peppery or radish-like. Its edibility is unknown.
It is a common mushroom of wet sclerophyll
Sclerophyll
Sclerophyll is the term for a type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short internodes . The word comes from the Greek sclero and phyllon ....
forests in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. In a study of the distribution of mushroom species in this area, it was found to occur only in mature or uncut forests.