Dendrocollybia | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Fungi |
Division: | Basidiomycota |
Class: | Agaricomycetes |
Order: | Agaricales |
Family: | Tricholomataceae |
Genus: | Dendrocollybia R.H.Petersen & Redhead (2001) |
Species: | D. racemosa |
Binomial name | |
Dendrocollybia racemosa (Pers.) R.H.Petersen & Redhead (2001) | |
Synonyms [1] | |
Dendrocollybia is a fungal genus in the family Tricholomataceae of the order Agaricales. It is a monotypic genus, containing the single species Dendrocollybia racemosa, commonly known as the branched collybia or the branched shanklet. The somewhat rare species is found in the Northern Hemisphere, including the Pacific Northwest region of western North America, and Europe, where it is included in several Regional Red Lists. It usually grows on the decaying fruit bodies of other agarics—such as Lactarius and Russula —although the host mushrooms may be decayed to the point of being difficult to recognize.
Dendrocollybia racemosa fruit bodies have small pale grayish-white or grayish-brown caps up to 1 cm (0.4 in) wide, and thin stems up to 6 cm (2.4 in) long. The species is characterized by its unusual stem, which is covered with short lateral branches. The branches often produce spherical slimeheads of translucent conidiophores on their swollen tips. The conidiophores produce conidia (asexual spores) by mitosis. Because the fungus can rely on either sexual or asexual modes of reproduction, fruit bodies sometimes have reduced or even missing caps. The unusual stems originate from black pea-sized structures called sclerotia. The anamorphic form of the fungus, known as Tilachlidiopsis racemosa, is missing the sexual stage of its life cycle. It can reproduce at relatively low temperatures, an adaptation believed to improve its ability to grow quickly and fruit on decomposing mushrooms.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Phylogeny and relationships of D. racemosa and closely related fungi based on ribosomal DNA sequences [4] |
The genus Dendrocollybia was first described in 2001, to accommodate the species previously known as Collybia racemosa. Before then, the so-named taxon was considered to be one of four species of Collybia , a genus which had itself has been redefined and reduced in 1997, when most of its species were transferred to Gymnopus and Rhodocollybia . [5] C. racemosa was originally described and named Agaricus racemosus by Christian Hendrik Persoon in 1797, [6] and sanctioned under that name by Elias Magnus Fries in 1821. In his Systema Mycologicum , Fries classified it in his "tribe" Collybia along with all other similar small, white-spored species with a convex cap and a fragile stem. [7] In 1873 Lucien Quélet raised Fries' tribe Collybia to generic rank. [8] Samuel Frederick Gray called the species Mycena racemosa in his 1821 Natural Arrangement of British Plants; [3] both this name and Joanne Lennox's 1979 Microcollybia racemosa are considered synonyms. [1]
Rolf Singer's fourth edition (1986) of his comprehensive Agaricales in Modern Taxonomy included Collybia racemosa in section Collybia, in addition to the three species that currently comprise the genus Collybia: C. tuberosa , C. cirrhata and C. cookei . [9] A phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer sequences of ribosomal DNA by Karen Hughes and colleagues showed that C. tuberosa, C. cirrhata and C. cookei form a monophyletic group within a larger Lyophyllum–Tricholoma–Collybia clade that includes several species of Lyophyllum , Tricholoma , Lepista , Hypsizygus and the species C. racemosa. Hughes and colleagues could not identify a clade that included all four species of Collybia. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the ribosomal DNA from the four species corroborated the results obtained from phylogenetic analysis. Based on these results, as well as differences in characteristics such as the presence of unique stem projections, fruit body pigmentation, and macrochemical reactions, they circumscribed the new genus Dendrocollybia to contain
Dendrocollybia | |
---|---|
Gills on hymenium | |
Cap is conical or convex | |
Hymenium is adnexed | |
Spore print is white | |
Ecology is saprotrophic | |
Edibility is unknown |
C. racemosa. [4]
The fungus is commonly known as the branched Collybia, [10] or the branched shanklet; [11] Samuel Gray referred to it as the "racemelike high-stool". [3] The specific epithet racemosa is from the Latin word racemus—"a cluster of grapes". [12]
The cap of Dendrocollybia racemosa is typically between 3 and 10 mm (0.1 and 0.4 in) in diameter, and depending on its stage of development, may be conic to convex, or in maturity, somewhat flattened with a slightly rounded central elevation (an umbo). The cap surface is dry and opaque, with a silky texture; its color in the center is fuscous (a dusky brownish-gray color), but the color fades uniformly towards the margin. The margin is usually curved toward the gills initially; as the fruit body matures the edge may roll out somewhat, but it also tends to fray or split with age. There may be shallow grooves on the cap that corresponds to the position of the gills underneath, which may give the cap edge a crenate (scalloped) appearance. The flesh is very thin (less than 1 mm thick) [13] and fragile, lacking in color, and has no distinctive odor or taste. [14] The gills are relatively broad, narrowly attached to the stem (adnexed), spaced closely together, and colored gray to grayish-tan, somewhat darker than the cap. [15] There are additional gills, called lamellulae, that do not extend all the way to the stem; they are interspersed between the gills and arranged in up to three series (tiers) of equal length. [13] Occasionally, the fungus produces stems with aborted caps, or with the caps missing entirely. [10]
Stem resembles the raceme of the currant-bush, from whence the berries have been plucked; branches terminated by hyaline beads which disappear.
The stem is 4 to 6 cm (1.6 to 2.4 in) long by 1 mm thick, roughly equal in width throughout, and tapers to a long "root" which terminates in a dull black, roughly spherical sclerotium. [14] The stem may be buried deeply in its substrate. [13] The stem surface is roughly the same color as the cap, with a fine whitish powder on the upper surface. In the lower portion, the stem is brownish, and has fine grooves that run lengthwise up and down the surface. [15] The lower half is covered with irregularly arranged short branch-like protuberances at right angles to the stem that measures 2–3 by 0.5 mm. These projections are cylindrical and tapering, with ends that are covered with a slime head of conidia (fungal spores produced asexually). D. racemosa is the only mushroom species known that form conidia on side branches of the stem. [16] The sclerotium from which the stem arises is watery grayish and homogeneous in cross section (not divided into internal chambers), with a thin dull black outer coat, and measures 3 to 6 mm (0.12 to 0.24 in) in diameter. [14] American mycologist Alexander H. Smith cautioned that novice collectors will typically miss the sclerotium the first time they find the species. [17] The edibility of D. racemosa is unknown, [17] but as David Arora says, the fruit bodies are "much too puny and rare to be of value." [10]
The spores are narrowly ellipsoid to ovoid, thin-walled, hyaline (translucent), with dimensions of 4–5.5 by 2–3 μm. When stained with Melzer's reagent, the spores turn a light blue color. The basidia (the spore-bearing cells) are four-spored, measure 16–20 by 3.5–4 μm, and taper gradually towards the base. Cystidia are not differentiated in this species. The cap surface is made of a cuticle of radial, somewhat agglutinated, rather coarse hyphae that differ chiefly in size from the underlying tissue—initially 1–3 μm in diameter, becoming 5–7 μm wide in the underlying tissue. The hyphae are clamped, and encrusted with shallow irregularly shaped masses that are most conspicuous in the surface cells. The gill tissue is made of hyphae that project downward from the cap and arranged in a subparallel fashion, meaning that the hyphae are mostly parallel to one another and are slightly intertwined. The hyphae are clamped, with a narrow, branched compact subhymenium (a narrow zone of small, short hyphae immediately beneath the hymenium) composed of hyphae 2–3 μm in diameter. The conidia are 8.5–12 by 4–5 μm, peanut-shaped, non-amyloid (not changing color when stained with Melzer's reagent), clamped, and produced by fragmentation of the coarse mycelium. [2] Clamp connections are present in the hyphae. [17] Asexual spores are 10.0–15.5 by 3–4 μm, ellipsoid to oblong, non-amyloid, and contain granular contents. [13] The grayish color of the fruit bodies is caused by encrusted pigments (crystalline aggregates of pigment molecules, possibly melanin) that occur throughout the tissue of the stem and cap, including the gills; these pigments are absent in Collybia species. [4]
In contrast to the three species of Collybia, [4] D. racemosa shows negligible reactivity to common chemical tests used in mushroom identification, including aniline, alpha-napthol, guaiacol, sulfoformol, phenol, and phenol-aniline. [2]
The cortex (outer tissue layer) of the sclerotium can be used as a diagnostic character to distinguish between D. racemosa and small white specimens of Collybia. The hyphae of the cortex of D. racemosa are "markedly angular", in comparison with C. cookei (rounded hyphae) and C. tuberosa (elongated hyphae). [18] The cortical layer in D. racemosa has an arrangement that is known as textura epidermoidea—with the hyphae arranged like a jigsaw puzzle. Heavy deposits of dark reddish-brown pigment are evident throughout the cortical tissue in or on the walls and the tips of hyphae. [4] The remaining Collybia species, C. cirrhata, does not form sclerotia. [18]
The anamorphic or imperfect fungi are those that seem to lack a sexual stage in their life cycle, and typically reproduce by the process of mitosis in conidia. In some cases, the sexual stage—or teleomorph stage—is later identified, and a teleomorph-anamorph relationship is established between the species. The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature permits the recognition of two (or more) names for one and the same organism, one based on the teleomorph, the other(s) restricted to the anamorph. Tilachlidiopsis racemosa (formerly known as Sclerostilbum septentrionale, described by Alfred Povah in 1932) [19] was shown to be the anamorphic form of Dendrocollybia racemosa. [20] The synnemata (reproductive structures made of compact groups of erect conidiophores) produced by T. racemosa always grow on the stem of Dendrocollybia racemosa. The anamorph has an unusually low optimum growth temperature, between 12 and 18 °C (54 and 64 °F), within a larger growth range of 3 and 22 °C (37 and 72 °F). It is thought this is an adaptation that allows the mycelium to grow quickly and enhance its chances of fruiting on agaric mushrooms, which are generally short-lived. [21]
Dendrocollybia racemosa is a saprobic species, meaning it derives nutrients by breaking down dead or dying tissue. Its fruit bodies grow on the well-decayed remains of agarics, often suspected to be Lactarius or Russula , [4] [10] although the hosts' identities are often unclear due to an advanced state of decay. A 2006 study used molecular analysis to confirm Russula crassotunicata as a host for D. racemosa. This Russula has a long and persistent decay period, and, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States where the study was conducted, provides a "nearly year-round substrate for mycosaprobic species". [22] Dendrocollybia is one of four agaric genera obligately associated with growth on the fruit bodies of other fungi, the others being Squamanita , Asterophora , and Collybia. [4] Dendrocollybia is also found less commonly in deep coniferous duff, in groups or small clusters. The fungus can form sclerotia in the mummified host fruit bodies, and may also develop directly from their sclerotia in soil. [23] The fungus is widely distributed in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, [24] [25] but rarely collected "probably due to its small size, camouflage color, and tendency to be immersed in its substrate." [2] In North America, where the distribution is restricted to the Pacific Northwest, [26] fruit bodies are found in the late summer to autumn, often after a heavy fruiting period for other mushrooms is over. [17] In Europe, it is known from the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, [27] and Belgium. [4] Dendrocollybia racemosa is in the Danish, [28] Norwegian, [29] and British Red Lists. [30]
The saprobic behaviors of Collybia and Dendrocollybia are slightly different. In the autumn, fruit bodies of C. cirrhata, C. cookei and C. tuberosa, can be found on blackened, leathery, mummified fruit bodies of their hosts. Sometimes, these species appear to be growing in the soil (or from their sclerotium in soil or moss), but usually not in huge clusters. In these cases it is assumed that the hosts are remnants of fruit bodies from a previous season. In all observed cases of D. racemosa, however, the hosts have not been readily observed, suggesting that rapid digestion of the host (rather than mummification) may have taken place. Hughes and colleagues suggest that this may indicate the presence of a different enzymatic system, and a differing ability to compete with other fungi or bacteria. [4]
Psilocybe tampanensis is a very rare psychedelic mushroom in the family Hymenogastraceae. Originally collected in the wild in a sandy meadow near Tampa, Florida, in 1977, the fungus would not be found in Florida again until 44 years later. The original Florida specimen was cloned, and descendants remain in wide circulation. The fruit bodies (mushrooms) produced by the fungus are yellowish-brown in color with convex to conic caps up to 2.4 cm (0.9 in) in diameter atop a thin stem up to 6 cm (2.4 in) long. Psilocybe tampanensis forms psychoactive truffle-like sclerotia that are known and sold under the nickname "philosopher's stones". The fruit bodies and sclerotia are consumed by some for recreational or entheogenic purposes. In nature, sclerotia are produced by the fungus as a rare form of protection from wildfires and other natural disasters.
A sclerotium, is a compact mass of hardened fungal mycelium containing food reserves. One role of sclerotia is to survive environmental extremes. In some higher fungi such as ergot, sclerotia become detached and remain dormant until favorable growth conditions return. Sclerotia initially were mistaken for individual organisms and described as separate species until Louis René Tulasne proved in 1853 that sclerotia are only a stage in the life cycle of some fungi. Further investigation showed that this stage appears in many fungi belonging to many diverse groups. Sclerotia are important in the understanding of the life cycle and reproduction of fungi, as a food source, as medicine, and in agricultural blight management.
Lactarius torminosus, commonly known as the woolly milkcap or the bearded milkcap, is a large species of agaric fungus. A common and widely distributed species, it is found in North Africa, northern Asia, Europe, and North America. It was first described scientifically by Jacob Christian Schäffer in 1774 as an Agaricus, and later transferred to the genus Lactarius in 1821 by Samuel Frederick Gray. A variety, L. torminosus var. nordmanensis, is known from the United States, Canada, and Switzerland. L. torminosus officially became the type species of Lactarius in 2011 after molecular studies prompted the taxonomic reshuffling of species between several Russulaceae genera.
Mycena haematopus, commonly known as the bleeding fairy helmet, the burgundydrop bonnet, or the bleeding Mycena, is a species of fungus in the family Mycenaceae, of the order Agaricales. It is widespread and common in Europe and North America, and has also been collected in old Japan and Venezuela. It is saprotrophic—meaning that it obtains nutrients by consuming decomposing organic matter—and the fruit bodies appear in small groups or clusters on the decaying logs, trunks, and stumps of deciduous trees, particularly beech. The fungus, first described scientifically in 1799, is classified in the section Lactipedes of the genus Mycena, along with other species that produce a milky or colored latex.
Wynnea americana, commonly known as moose antlers or rabbit ears, is a species of fungus in the family Sarcoscyphaceae. The uncommon species is recognizable by its spoon-shaped or rabbit ear–shaped fruit bodies that may reach up to 13 cm (5 in) tall. It has dark brown and warty outer surfaces, while the fertile spore-bearing inner surface is orange to pinkish to reddish brown. It is distinguished from other species in its genus by the pustules on the outer surface, and microscopically by the large asymmetrical longitudinally ribbed spores with a sharply pointed tip. The spores are made in structures called asci, which have thickened rings at one end that are capped by a hinged structure known as the operculum—a lid that opens to release spores from the ascus.
Lactarius indigo, commonly known as the indigo milk cap, indigo milky, the indigo lactarius, or the blue milk mushroom, is a species of agaric fungus in the family Russulaceae. It is a widely distributed species, growing naturally in eastern North America, East Asia, and Central America; it has also been reported in southern France. L. indigo grows on the ground in both deciduous and coniferous forests, where it forms mycorrhizal associations with a broad range of trees. The fruit body color ranges from dark blue in fresh specimens to pale blue-gray in older ones. The milk, or latex, that oozes when the mushroom tissue is cut or broken — a feature common to all members of the genus Lactarius — is also indigo blue, but slowly turns green upon exposure to air. The cap has a diameter of 5–15 cm (2–6 in), and the stem is 2–8 cm (0.8–3 in) tall and 1–2.5 cm (0.4–1.0 in) thick. It is an edible mushroom, and is sold in rural markets in China, Guatemala, and Mexico. In Honduras, the mushroom is called a chora, and is generally eaten with egg; generally as a side dish for a bigger meal.
Panellus stipticus, commonly known as the bitter oyster, the astringent panus, the luminescent panellus, or the stiptic fungus, is a species of fungus. It belongs in the family Mycenaceae, and the type species of the genus Panellus. A common and widely distributed species, it is found in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America, where it grows in groups or dense overlapping clusters on the logs, stumps, and trunks of deciduous trees, especially beech, oak, and birch. During the development of the fruit bodies, the mushrooms start out as tiny white knobs, which, over a period of one to three months, develop into fan- or kidney-shaped caps that measure up to 3 cm (1.2 in) broad. The caps are orange-yellow to brownish, and attached to the decaying wood by short stubby stalks that are connected off-center or on the side of the caps. The fungus was given its current scientific name in 1879, but has been known by many names since French mycologist Jean Bulliard first described it as Agaricus stypticus in 1783. Molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed P. stipticus to have a close genetic relationship with members of the genus Mycena.
Lactarius subflammeus, commonly known as the orange milk cap, is a species of fungus in the family Russulaceae. It is found in western North America in the late summer and fall and is especially common in the Pacific Northwest, where it grows on the ground near conifers like pine and spruce. The brightly colored fruit bodies, which are slimy or sticky, have scarlet caps when young that soon fade to brilliant orange. The stem—typically longer than the width of the cap—is also bright orange but the gills are whitish. The mushroom secretes a whitish latex when it is cut or injured.
Suillus pungens, commonly known as the pungent slippery jack or the pungent suillus, is a species of fungus in the genus Suillus. The fruit bodies of the fungus have slimy convex caps up to 14 cm (5.5 in) wide. The mushroom is characterized by the very distinct color changes that occur in the cap throughout development. Typically, the young cap is whitish, later becoming grayish-olive to reddish-brown or a mottled combination of these colors. The mushroom has a dotted stem (stipe) up to 7 cm (2.8 in) long, and 2 cm (0.8 in) thick. On the underside on the cap is the spore-bearing tissue consisting of minute vertically arranged tubes that appear as a surface of angular, yellowish pores. The presence of milky droplets on the pore surface of young individuals, especially in humid environments, is a characteristic feature of this species. S. pungens can usually be distinguished from other similar Suillus species by differences in distribution, odor and taste. The mushroom is considered edible, but not highly regarded.
Mycena nidificata is a species of fungus in the family Mycenaceae of the Agaricales. First collected in 2000 and reported as a new species in 2007, it is known only from Kanagawa, Japan, where it grows on the floor of oak forests. The dark brown irregularly wrinkled cap measures up to 25 mm (1.0 in) in diameter. The cap is supported by a thin stem up to 50 mm (2.0 in) long, which is covered at the base by a whitish hairlike growth, and attached to white, cord-like rhizomorphs—aggregations of mycelium that resemble plant roots. The underside of the cap features thin, distantly spaced grayish gills that have distinct veins running between them. At a microscopic level, distinguishing characteristics include the inamyloid spores, the club-shaped cheilocystidia with finger-like appendages, the diverticulate cells in the outer layer of cap and stem, and the presence of clamp connections.
Palaeoagaracites is an extinct monotypic genus of gilled fungus in the order Agaricales. It contains the single species Palaeoagaracites antiquus.
Collybia tuberosa, commonly known as the lentil shanklet or the appleseed coincap, is an inedible species of fungus in the family Tricholomataceae, and the type species of the genus Collybia. Like the two other members of its genus, it lives on the decomposing remains of other fleshy mushrooms. The fungus produces small whitish fruit bodies with caps up to 1 cm (0.4 in) wide held by thin stems up to 5 cm (2.0 in) long. On the underside of the cap are closely spaced white gills that are broadly attached to the stem. At the base of the stem, embedded in the substrate is a small reddish-brown sclerotium that somewhat resembles an apple seed. The appearance of the sclerotium distinguishes it from the other two species of Collybia, which are otherwise very similar in overall appearance. C. tuberosa is found in Europe, North America, and Japan, growing in dense clusters on species of Lactarius and Russula, boletes, hydnums, and polypores.
Collybia cookei is a species of fungus in the family Tricholomataceae, and one of three species in the genus Collybia. It is known from Europe, Asia, and North America. The fungus produces fruit bodies that usually grow on the decomposing remains of other mushrooms, like Meripilus giganteus, Inonotus hispidus, or species of Russula; occasionally fruit bodies are found on rich humus or well-decayed wood. The fungus produces small white mushrooms with caps up to 9 mm (0.35 in) in diameter, supported by thin stems that originate from a yellowish-brown sclerotium. The mushroom is difficult to distinguish from the other two species of Collybia unless an effort is made to examine the sclerotia, which is usually buried in the substrate. The edibility of the mushroom has not been determined.
Collybia cirrhata is a species of fungus in the family Tricholomataceae of the order Agaricales. The species was first described in the scientific literature in 1786, but was not validly named until 1803. Found in Europe, Northern Eurasia, and North America, it is known from temperate, boreal, and alpine or arctic habitats. It is a saprobic species that grows in clusters on the decaying or blackened remains of other mushrooms. The fruit bodies are small, with whitish convex to flattened caps up to 11 mm in diameter, narrow white gills, and slender whitish stems 8–25 mm long and up to 2 mm (0.08 in) thick. C. cirrhata can be distinguished from the other two members of Collybia by the absence of a sclerotium at the base of the stem. The mushroom is of unknown edibility.
Boletus rubroflammeus is a species of bolete fungus in the family Boletaceae. First described from Michigan in 1971, it is found in the eastern United States and Mexico, where it grows in a mycorrhizal association with hardwood trees. The fruit bodies (mushrooms) of the fungus have caps that are deep red to purplish red, and dark red pores. The stem has coarse, dark red reticulations and a narrow yellow area at the top. All parts of the mushroom quickly stain blue when injured or cut. Lookalikes include Boletus flammans, a lighter-colored species that grows with conifers. Other similar species can be distinguished by differences in distribution, morphology, staining reaction, and microscopic characteristics. Boletus rubroflammeus mushrooms are poisonous, and can cause gastrointestinal distress if consumed.
Volvariella surrecta, commonly known as the piggyback rosegill, is an agaric fungus in the family Pluteaceae. Although rare, the species is widely distributed, having been reported from Asia, North America, Northern Africa, Europe, and New Zealand. The fungus grows as a parasite on the fruit bodies of other gilled mushrooms, usually Clitocybe nebularis. V. surrecta mushrooms have white or greyish silky-hairy caps up to 8 cm (3.1 in) in diameter, and white gills that turns pink in maturity. The stipe, also white, is up to 9 cm (3.5 in) long, and has a sack-like volva at its base.
Mycena chlorophos is a species of agaric fungus in the family Mycenaceae. First described in 1860, the fungus is found in subtropical Asia, including India, Japan, Taiwan, Polynesia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka, in Australia, and Brazil. Fruit bodies (mushrooms) have pale brownish-grey sticky caps up to 30 mm (1.2 in) in diameter atop stems 6–30 mm (0.2–1.2 in) long and up to a millimeter thick. The mushrooms are bioluminescent and emit a pale green light. Fruiting occurs in forests on fallen woody debris such as dead twigs, branches, and logs. The fungus can be made to grow and fruit in laboratory conditions, and the growth conditions affecting bioluminescence have been investigated.
Cortinarius iodes, commonly known as the spotted cort or the viscid violet cort, is a species of agaric fungus in the family Cortinariaceae. The fruit bodies have small, slimy, purple caps up to 6 cm (2.4 in) in diameter that develop yellowish spots and streaks in maturity. The gill color changes from violet to rusty or grayish brown as the mushroom matures. The species range includes eastern North America, Central America, northern South America, and northern Asia, where it grows on the ground in a mycorrhizal association with deciduous trees. The mushroom is not recommended for consumption. Cortinarius iodeoides, one of several potential lookalike species, can be distinguished from C. iodes by its bitter-tasting cap cuticle.
Tricholoma vernaticum is an agaric fungus of the genus Tricholoma native to the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The fungus was originally described in 1976 as a species of Armillaria when that genus was more inclusive; it received its current name twenty years later. The stout fruit bodies (mushrooms) have moist white to grayish caps, a membranous ring on the stipe, and an odor resembling cucumbers. Mycorrhizal with conifers, the fungus fruits in the spring or early summer, with its mushrooms appearing on the ground singly or in groups at high elevations, often at the edge of melting snowbanks. The edibility of the mushroom is unknown, but it has a strong unpleasant odor and a mealy taste.
Russula densifolia, commonly known as the crowded russula or the reddening russula, is a species of agaric fungus in the family Russulaceae. It was first described in 1833 and given its current name in 1876. A widespread species, it is found in Asia, Europe, and North America, where it fruits on the ground in mixed and deciduous forests. Fruit bodies (mushrooms) are robust and squat, with caps up to 14.5 cm (5.7 in) in diameter, and stems that are 2–7.5 cm (0.8–3.0 in) long by 1.2–2.5 cm (0.5–1.0 in) thick. The mushrooms are characterized by the red and then black color changes that occur in the flesh when it is bruised, and a relatively thick cap cuticle. Although the mushroom is sold as an edible species in some areas of Asia, it is mild to moderately toxic, and may cause gastrointestinal upset if consumed. Several bioactive compounds have been isolated and identified from the mushroom.