Pluteus

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Pluteus

Pluteus is a large genus

Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
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 have a stem , a cap , and gills on the unde...
with over 100 species. They are wood rotting saprobes with pink spore prints and gills that are free from the stem.

Characteristics of the genus

These fungi grow on wood or wood remains.
The spore powder is deep pink, soon giving a pink tint to the initially pale gills.
The gills are free from the stipe.

There is no volva or ring (exception: the rare recently reclassified North American species P.

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Encyclopedia

Pluteus is a large genus
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
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 have a stem , a cap , and gills on the unde...
with over 100 species. They are wood rotting saprobes with pink spore prints and gills that are free from the stem.

Characteristics of the genus

These fungi grow on wood or wood remains.
The spore powder is deep pink, soon giving a pink tint to the initially pale gills.
The gills are free from the stipe.
There is no volva or ring (exception: the rare recently reclassified North American species P. mammillatus, previously Chamaeota sphaerospora).
Microscopically, they often have abundant, distinctive cystidia
Cystidium

A cystidium is a relatively large cell found on the hymenium of a basidiomycete , often between clusters of basidium. Since cystidia have highly varied and distinct shapes that are often unique to a particular species or genus, they are a useful micromorphological characteristic in the identification of basidiomycetes....
. The spores are smooth and roughly egg-shaped.

Pluteus is separated from Volvariella
Volvariella

Volvariella is a genus of mushrooms with pink gills and spore prints. They lack a ring, and have an Amanita-like volva at the stem base. Some species of Amanita look similar, but Amanita has white spores and often have a ring....
due to the lack of a volva
Volva (mycology)

The volva is a Mycology term to describe a cup-like structure at the base of a mushroom which is a remnant of the Universal veil. This Macroscopicfeature is very important in wild mushroom identification due to it being an easily observed, taxonomically significant feature which almost always signifies a member of Amanitaceae....
, and from Entoloma
Entoloma

Entoloma is a genus of terrestrial pink-gilled mushrooms with angular spores. They have a drab appearance, pink gills which are attached to the stem, a smooth thick cap, and angular spores....
by growing on wood and by microscopic features (Entolomas have angular spores).

Remarks on particular species

Some of these mushrooms are edible including P. petasatus and P. cervinus
Pluteus cervinus

Pluteus cervinus, also known as Pluteus atricapillus or the Deer or fawn mushroom, belongs to the large genus Pluteus....
, though most people rate their taste and consistency as average at best.

Pluteus cervinus is the best known species in Europe and North America.

Several species of this genus bruise blue and contain psilocybin
Psilocybin

Psilocybin is a psychedelic drug indole of the tryptamine family, found in psilocybin mushrooms. It is present in List of Psilocybin mushrooms of fungi, including those of the genus Psilocybe, such as Psilocybe cubensis and liberty cap , but also reportedly isolated from a dozen or so other genera....
including Pluteus brunneidiscus, Pluteus salicinus
Pluteus salicinus

Pluteus salicinus is a hallucinogenic mushroom which grows on wood and is widely distributed....
, Pluteus cyanopus, Pluteus glaucus, Pluteus nigriviridis, and Pluteus villosus.