Chlorophyllum & Macrolepiota.
Basidiomycota > Agaricomycetes > Agaricales > Agaricaceae.
There are about 42 species of Macrolepiota and 20 of Chlorophyllum.
Macrolepiota has 3 species in Australia – M. dolichaula, M. eucharis and M. clelandii.
Chlorophyllum has 4 species – C. brunneum, C. hortense, C. molybdites and C. nothorachodes.
Macrolepiotas are macroscopically very similar to some Chlorophyllum species.
C. molybdites, with a green spore print, is easily identified.
Chlorophyllum sp.
Medium to large mushrooms found in leaf litter and lawns.
Caps are round, convex then flattish and some have a central umbo (hump).
Caps are white, cream or pale brown with brown scales and a dark brown central patch.
The gills are crowded, white (one species greenish) then brownish, mostly free of the stem.
Spore prints are white (one green).
The stem is central, with a ring or remnants from the partial veil.
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Macrolepiota sp.
Solitary or in groups.
They are fleshy, medium to very large mushrooms up to 20 cm or more in height.
The cap is ovate then conical then umbonate then slightly flattened.
The central brown umbo is prominent.
Surrounding this are concentric rows of brown scales on a white or cream background.
There may be tags around the cap margin from the partial veil.
The gills are white or cream, free of the stem and the spore print is mostly white.
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Dsitinguishing between some Chlorophyllum and Macrolepiota species in Australia can be difficult.
This requires professional microscopes and cameras.
Features to look for include – basidia 2 or 4-spored, spore size and features and clamp connections.
(Ref: Else C. Vellinga Chlorophyllum and Macrolepiota (Agaricaceae) in Australia
CSIRO PUBLISHING © CSIRO 28 June 2003 10.1071/SB02013 1030-1887/03/030361
www.publish.csiro.au/journals/asb Australian Systematic Botany 16, 361–370)
J.F.
